Richard Castle's Guide to Camping
by KB-RC23
Summary: Rick and Kate go on a little camping trip! Very interesting times lie ahead for our favorite duo. Rated M. *Updated 12/24/2011* Final chapter is now up!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey!**

**This one is for all y'all that have ever read and/or reviewed my stories! You guys rock my socks off! It really means a lot to me! Thank you so so much! You have no idea what it means to me that you guys like my stories! It makes me smile when I see your reviews in my inbox!  
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**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/**

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><p><strong>[Chapter 1]<strong>

It was a blazing hot summer morning at the twelfth precinct. Officers and detectives were sprawling around, taking perps in for questioning and working on cases. Phones could be heard ringing, keys on the computer were tapped upon, and pens scratched onto papers. It was your average day at the twelfth.

Detective Kate Beckett sat at her desk, going over a few last minute details on some paperwork. They had just closed their last case before the holiday weekend. You see this weekend was Fourth of July. Many officers had plans and were heading out of town with their families. Esposito was taking Lanie to visit her family, while Ryan and Jenny were going to her parent's place. That left Kate by herself, without any plans, all alone. Or so she thought...

The elevator chimed, signaling that it had arrived on their floor. The large steel doors opened and a loud and distinctive voice was heard, "Hey! Good mornin', Bill!"

Castle was here.

He strutted over to Kate's desk with a huge grin plastered on his face. Rick plopped down in _his_ chair, setting Beckett's usual coffee and bear-claw on her desk.

"G'morning, Beckett!" He greeted, taking a sip from his coffee.

"Hey, Castle," she replied, not looking up from her work. She grabbed her coffee off her desk and raised it to her lips, taking a large gulp. "Thanks," she indicated the coffee by raising it in her hand.

"No problem," he smiled. "So, what are you working on?" He peered over to look at the piles of papers in front of Beckett.

"Just adding a few more things to the Roberts case file. I gotta get the paperwork into the DA's office this afternoon." She scribbled a few more things down on the sheet, her brow furrowed in concentration.

Rick was staring at her, just admiring her. He normally did this, Kate found it creepy. As time went on though, she got use to it and just learned to ignore him. But she could always feel his eyes in her. It flattered her a bit; that he would sit there for hours on end, simply watching her do something as boring as paperwork.

"So..." He pondered, folding his hands and placing them on her old oak desk. "Do you have any plans for the holiday weekend?"

She looked up and turned to face him, giving him her undivided attention. "Not really," she answered.

Wrong answer, Rick thought with a smirk.

Beckett continued, "I'm just gonna relax and take it easy. I rarely get days off, so this weekend will be a lazy one." And she went back to the paper on her desk, looking away from him. "What about you?" she asked.

He grinned. "Oh, well with Alexis staying with Ashley and his family, and with Mother out of town and vacationing with Paul, I was planning on getting out of the city, somewhere secluded and go camping."

"Hmm, sounds nice." Kate commented.

Rick was smiling like crazy. If his smile got any bigger, his face would end up getting stuck like that. "Yeah. So I was wondering...would-"

"No, Castle," She cut him off.

"You didn't even know what I was going to ask!" He exasperated.

"Yes, I do." She tore her eyes off her work to look at him. "You were about to ask me to join you on your little camping adventure."

"I- why don't you?" he wondered, his eyebrows raised in question.

"Because...I don't want to go," she answered, avoiding his question. Beckett wasn't telling him something and he was curious to know why.

"Have you ever gone camping before?" he asked very much intrigued.

"I, um...yeah," she nodded, nervously. "Loads of times."

"Uh-huh. So, why don't you wanna come?"

"I don't want to, Castle," she said irritated.

"Come on..." he pleaded. "We can roast marshmallows over the campfire and tell ghost stories. It'll be fun! We can even lay under the stars one night. And I promise, no funny business. Just a nice getaway from the city with your partner. Who, I might add, is ruggedly handsome," he said with cheeky smile and a wink. Beckett rolled her eyes at his remark. "Please, Kate," he begged. Giving her giant puppy dog eyes and pouting his lip.

"Fine, I'll go," she gave in. Rick leaped out of his chair in joy, yelling out a big victory _yes!_ causing everyone to stare and look at him. All with amused expressions on their faces.

"Castle!" Kate whispered harshly, yanking him by the arm and shoving him back onto the chair. "I will go, but _only_ if you never do that again. And if you tell Ryan or Esposito about this, I will kill you." Her voice was low and threatening but sorta sexy, too.

"Deal," he said with a goofy grin. He couldn't contain his excitement.

"No funny business, right?" she asked.

"No funny business," Rick confirmed, nodding his head. "You're gonna wanna start packing, we leave first thing tomorrow morning."

"Couldn't have given me more notice?" she questioned, sarcastically.

"Nope!" he smirked and rose from his chair. "I will pick you up at seven o'clock sharp. Until tomorrow, Detective." And with that he skipped over to the elevator. Yes, Richard Castle skipped. And he did not give Beckett the chance to respond.

Looking over to the elevator, she could see Rick sneering as the double doors closed, blocking him from view. She sighed running her delicate fingers through he chocolate brown trusses. What did she just agree to?

With that, she got up and headed toward the one person that could help her get her head back on straight.

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><p>Kate marched through the huge doors, entering the morgue. Lanie turned around in a flash upon hearing the doors fly open.<p>

"Girl, what are you doin' here?" the medical examiner asked, confused at seeing her best friend storm in.

"Castle," Kate mumbled as she took a seat on a vacant table top, her legs dangled off the sides.

"What'd he do now?" Lanie wondered, removing her blue latex gloves and pulling a chair in front of her friend. She took her seat, looking up at the anxious detective.

"He-" she struggled, looking for the right words. "He, well, he in-invited me to go camping with him this weekend." Lanie was shocked, her jaw dropped but she remained silent as her friend continued. "An- and I, um...said yes." The last word was barely over a whisper. Kate timidly bit her bottom lip as she waited for Lanie to respond.

Lanie remained where she was, not saying a word. A smile began to appear on her face. All of a sudden, she shot out of the chair and threw her arms over Kate, crushing her into a big hug. "I'm so happy for you!" Lanie squealed, still holding onto the detective. Eventually she pulled away and returned to her seat. "So?"

"So...what?" Kate asked, flabbergasted.

"_So_...what made you agree to going with him? Have you finally realized your true feelings for him? Did you tell him? You better tell him. Are you going to?" Lanie rambled and let out about fifty other questions before Kate was able to finally stop her.

"Lanie, one question at time! _Jeez!"_

"Sorry!" Lanie apologized, trying to regain her normal breathing pattern.

Kate then answered the first question. "To be honest," she looked down to her folded hands in her lap. "I really want to go with him...I'm not sure why but I do." Her eyes moved to look at Lanie. "I think that it will be good for me to, you know, get out of the city and-"

"Beckett," Lanie cut in. "I think you and I both know that you want to go for a different reason," she lifted her eyebrows and softly smiled.

Kate sighed. Lanie was right, she wasn't going to just get out of the city for a few days. She was going because of a certain author.

"I don't think I can ignore these feelings anymore. We've worked together for three years now and he's certainly changed since I first met him," Kate stated, thinking back on that very day, that very moment that changed her life forever. "He's way more than a shadow, he's my partner." She then added, whispering, "He's my one and done."

"Damn, girl! It's about freakin' time!" Lanie exclaimed with a chuckle. Kate was ready for that next step in their relationship. She was ready to dive into the unknown, ready to take some risks for once.

"Are you gonna tell, Writer Boy?" Lanie wondered, still grinning like a fool.

She just nodded, a blush came to her cheeks.

"Finally! About time you two!" Lanie got up, calmly this time, and wrapped her arms around Kate, giving her a sweet and gentle hug. "I'm happy for you, Kate." Lanie pulled back to look at her in the face, still holding onto her. "I really am," she said sincerely.

Kate whispered, "Thanks, Lanie." She was still beet red from head to toe.

A few seconds passed, before Lanie gasped, a look of bewilderment and excitement lighted up her face.

"What is it?" Kate asked, worried.

"You gotta pack!" Lanie shrieked. Kate rolled her eyes in annoyance. "We gotta get you some new clothes!" And with that last statement, she grabbed Kate's hand and rushed out the door. They were going on a little (_HUGE_) shopping spree.

Kate's pleas were the last sounds to be heard in the morgue as they echoed off the walls...

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><p><strong>YAY! <strong>

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	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys!**

**I just wanted to say thank you so so much! The response for the first chapter was AMAZING! You guys rock! I smile every single time I look in my inbox. You reviews make my day! So keep 'em coming! I hope you enjoy this chapter. I kinda rushed it so I hope it turned out ok!**

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/**

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><p><strong>[Chapter 2]<strong>

The apartment door flew open with a grunt. Kate and Lanie were back from their shopping and had brought plenty back with them. Kate trudged through her front door, dragging eight giant bags along with her. Lanie followed behind her with about six bags of her own.

Once inside the threshold, the bags dropped. Kate slowly made her way to her kitchen, opening the fridge. Shuffling through the cartons and cartons of takeout, she found two waters. She returned to Lanie, handing her a water.

"Thanks," Lanie said before taking a large gulp of the water.

Both were exhausted. They spent the entire day shopping for the essentials Kate would need for her trip, even though she was only going for the weekend. Lanie just told her that you can never be too prepared. They got her everything she needed: mosquito repellent, hiking boots, rain poncho, new shorts and shirts, warm jacket, sunscreen, a compass, disposable camera, sunglasses, and just about anything else one would need on a camping trip.

"Uhh," Kate moaned as she ran a hand through her hair.

"What?" Lanie wondered moving over to her friend, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I just realized something," Lanie raised an eyebrow, curious as to what she meant. Kate turned to look at the massive piles of bags cluttered all over her floor. Pointing to the bags, she grumbled in annoyance, "I gotta pack all that."

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><p>Rick was in his bedroom packing his things when he heard a soft knock on his door.<p>

"Come in!" He called over his shoulder. Upon hearing the door creek open, he turned around to see his daughter enter the room. "Oh, hey, pumpkin!" He greeted with a smile, walking over to her and engulfing her in a big hug. His arms wrapped protectively around her.

"Hi, Dad. I just wanted to tell you goodbye. Ashley's going to be here to pick me up any minute."

He moved Alexis at an arm's length. "I hope you and Ashley have fun. But, not too much fun," he said jokingly, pointing a finger at her.

Alexis smirked and responded, "I wouldn't be so worried about me. I'd be worried about you," she looked over at her father's suitcase stuffed with clothes, then back at him. Rick had a smile so big that it competed with the Cheshire Cat. "I take it Detective Beckett said yes to your offer."

"Maybe..." he grinned.

"Just please don't mess this up, Dad. I really like her."

"I won't," he promised as he pulled her in for one more hug. Rick placed a chaste kiss on her head, whispering, "I love you. Be safe."

"Love you, too," she mumbled into his shirt. Just then a knock was heard from downstairs. "Ashley's here." Kissing him quickly on the cheek she ran out the room, "Bye, Dad!"

"Bye," he whispered, gazing at the spot where his daughter just stood. He went back to his suitcase and finished packing, excited about what the next few days had in store.

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><p>"Finished," Kate exclaimed as she sat on her bed in a huff. They'd been packing for a while now and were finally done. With a little pushing and squashing, they managed to fit everything into one large suitcase.<p>

"Wow," Lanie sighed, relieved. She looked over at her friend. "That was fun, huh?" She asked sarcastically.

"Oh yeah," Kate sneered. "Lots of fun."

"Well, I better take off. It's getting late and I told Javier that I'd help him with _his_ packing," she muttered, annoyed. Lanie rose from the bed and put her hands on her hips. "All I ever do is help, help, help. And what do I get? _Nothing_!" Her lips began to slowly form into a small smile, teasing.

"Thanks, Lanie," Kate said as she stood and gave her a hug. "I really mean it. Thank you for everything."

Returning the hug, she replied, "You're welcome, girl." They pulled away, both smiling. As Lanie moved to the door, she called over her shoulder, waving a hand in the air. "And I expect details!"

Kate laughed with a reply, "You got it!"

Lanie grinned and was gone. The front door could be heard shutting, Kate was now alone. Moving over to her cabinet drawer, she removed her mother's necklace and gently placed it in the box. She drew a finger across it, admiring it before the box was closed tight.

Kate made her way to her dresser, pulling out an extra large t-shirt and boy shorts. And escaped into the bathroom, disappearing behind it.

She had a long day tomorrow, but she was excited about it. All weekend, alone with Castle, where no one would disturb them, and where they could, hopefully, move forward in their relationship. It was going to be a fun few days...

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><p><em>Beep. Beep. Beep.<em>

Reaching for the disruptive noise, she silenced the alarm clock. Looking over at it, it read five-thirty. She had about an hour and a half before he would be here to pick her up.

Slowly climbing out of bed and wiping the sleep out of her eyes, she meandered over to the bathroom, shutting the door closed behind her.

It was six fifty-six, making sure she had everything she needed, Beckett set her things by her front door. She had one large suitcase containing all of her new clothes. Besides the suitcase was a hiking backpack filled with her new equipment and few snacks like marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate. Rick did say that they'd be making s'mores, so she thought she'd come prepared.

Looking over her attire once more, double checking that she looked presentable. Starting at the top, she had a red bandanna tied around her head, her hair was pulled back into two pigtails. Kate had very little but tasteful makeup on. She did want to look her best for Castle. On her torso, she had a white tank top with bikini straps and a light-weight grey vest to cover it. She had khaki shorts that accentuated her long and slender legs even more, they ended mid-thighs. And on the bottom, she had her hiking boots on.

After she was done going over herself, a loud knock was heard at the door. She looked at her watch, seven o'clock on the dot. Right on the door, she smiled even more at the sight of him. Taking him in from the bottom, up.

He wore hiking boots similar to her own. Long camouflaged cargo shorts that ended just below his knees. Making her way up, she saw he wore a blue tight fitting t-shirt that did nothing to hide the muscles that laid beneath. Covering his shirt was a black light-weight vest. And on top, he had on a dark brown leather Tilley Hat that tied together under his chin.

"Wow," they both said simultaneously. Earning a laugh from each of them.

Clearing his throat, "You ready for our little adventure?" He asked with childlike eagerness.

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><p><strong>WHOO! There is the second chapter! OH YEA!<strong>

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	3. Chapter 3

**Hey there y'all!**

**I am so very sorry for the wait! I got a real bad case of writer's block (I mean _really really_ bad!), then I got busy with work, and then I got the flu which was not fun! But it passed quickly :D Now, this chapter took me _forever_ to write! So I hope that it turned out ok. It's a little longer than the previous two but not by much, so sorry about that. I am really quite nervous about this one. Please let me know what you guys think! And go easy! Thanks for all of your support! It means a lot! & when I look in my inbox and see all of your reviews makes me smile!  
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**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/  
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><p><strong>[Chapter 3]<strong>

"As ready as I'll ever be," Kate grinned. She started to grab for her suitcase but Rick halted her.

"Now, what kind of gentleman would I be if I let you carry your own suitcase?" He asked as he grabbed the suitcase. Kate rolled her eyes but let him do what he wanted. He motioned for her to exit the door before him with a wave of his hand.

Grabbing her backpack, she smiled, winking at him as she walked passed him into the hallway. Rick sighed of contentment as he closed the door behind him. Stepping out of the elevator, they entered the parking garage.

"So, which car are we taking?" She asked, searching around the garage.

He grinned, "Oh, it's a surprise."

"Castle, which car?" Kate ordered grimly, her arms crossed in front of her chest. She definitely was not in the mood for surprises. It didn't falter him one bit, he kept moving along, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Nope. Where's the fun in that?" He smirked and waggled his eyebrows.

Looking over at her, he smiled as he took her in once more as they continued on their little journey to the surprise. Kate was starting to become irritated, right when she was about to brutally beat it out of him, the surprise came into view.

"You didn't?" She asked, shell-shocked, stopping where she was, her feet planted firmly on the ground, jaw dropped.

Rick was a few feet ahead of her. He turned around with a silly smile on his face. "Oh yes I did!" He booked it over to where the vehicle was parked.

Remaining where she was, she couldn't believe what stood before her. In front of her was a very large (and probably extremely expensive) recreational vehicle; it was black and grey with gold trim. Definitely one of the nicest ones she's ever seen. She took a few minutes, just staring at the thing.

After a bit, she sighed reluctantly as she headed over to Rick, who was eagerly waiting to get inside. He was bouncing on the balls of his feet in anticipation, his bottom lip was in between his teeth and his eyes were as wide as a child's on Christmas morning. Beckett chuckled as she reached him.

"Something amusing?" He pondered.

"Oh no! Nothing at all," She reassured him with a small smirk.

"Mhmm," he hummed with a little chuckle of his own. Opening the door, he bowed and in a dramatic and theatrical tone, said, "after you, milady."

Kate blushed a little at his chivalry and answered softly, "Thanks, Rick." She walked up the three steps and entered the RV.

Rick was a bit taken back, he thought she'd be annoyed with his childlike antics but apparently not. He smiled as he followed her in the RV, setting the suitcase down and shutting the door. "So, you ready to head ou-"

He was forced to stop because he ran right into her. The moment she'd stepped in the RV she stopped dead in her tracks. Not even noticing that he ran into her or that his chest was still pressed firmly against her back, Kate's jaw dropped to the floor.

"Pretty snazzy, huh?" Rick asked with a proud smile on his face as he, too, looked around.

"Oh my," was all that left her mouth. She was blown away.

It was just as impressive on the inside as it was on the outside. At the front, there were two large cushioned seats, one for the driver and one for the passenger. The dashboard was home to all sorts of electronics, like a radio and CD player. In the cabinet above the seats was a giant flat screen TV with a DVD player and Xbox.

As you made your way further into the RV, you could see two black leather couches that sat on either side of the space. Hidden inside each of the couches were roll-out beds. The sides of the RV could expand out with a simple flick of a button, allowing for more space. A nice soft and smooth maroon carpet sat in the center of the area. Further down, on the left wall were oak cabinets and drawers that held all sorts of plates and dishes. Next to the cabinets was a full open kitchen with a refrigerator and a white marble sink. There was also an oven, a microwave, and a few more cabinets.

On the opposite side, was a small sitting table surround by a booth. Down a little further was a door, and when opened revealed a washing machine stacked on top of a dryer with all of the detergents and soaps in a drawer underneath. In the far back, were two separate bedrooms, both with a bathroom attached; the beds had matching blue satin sheets and covers. The whole thing was unbelievable.

"Well...?" He asked, excited. They were still pressed close to one another, but neither one seemed to mind the proximity.

Kate couldn't think of the right words, the entire thing was jaw dropping. All she said was, "Impressive."

Both of them then realized how close they were, causing their bodies to tense up. She slowly turned to face him but remained just as close to him, maybe even closer. Their bodies fit perfectly. Rick's eyes softened and bore into Kate's. She couldn't take her eyes off of his, it was mesmerizing.

They continued to stare into each other's eyes, and Kate could see right through them, to his soul. And she was pretty sure that he was doing the same with her. She was putting her heart out there, silently telling him how she really felt after all of these years. She smiled softly, and he returned the smile. She could feel his breath on her face as he looked down at her. Without her obnoxiously large heels, she was significantly smaller than he was.

Silence engulfed them. They stood there for a few minutes, soaking in everything. Suddenly coming out of her reverie, Kate quickly looked away and down at her feet. Taking a step back, she ran an hand up and down her arm, a little embarrassed. But mostly, she was a bit turned on. She needed to calm down and fast! Or else they wouldn't be leaving for quite some time.

"Well," Rick stated, clearing his throat. "Let's get this honking piece of machine moving!" He grabbed the keys from his pockets and raised them, intending to give them to Beckett. "Here ya go."

Kate shook her head, "Oh no, you're driving." She lifted a finger, pointing it at him as she said this.

"You're actually gonna let _me_ drive?" He grinned. "That was easier than I thought!"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, enjoy it. You're only driving because I don't know where we're going. And besides, I don't think I'd be able to get this monster out of here."

They took their respectful seats: Rick in the driver's seat and Kate in the passenger's seat. Clicking their seat belts into place, they were ready to go.

He rubbed in hands together in anticipation before placing the keys in the ignition and starting the RV. Just before he switched it into drive, a hand grasped his forearm. "You do know how to drive this thing, right?" Right when she laid her hand on him, they felt a spark ignite through out their bodies.

Rick looked down to see her hand on his arm then he turned his gaze up to her. "Of course I do!" He smiled softly. Then he teasingly added, "You seem doubtful, Beckett. Are you underestimating my driving skills?"

"What skills?" She threw back with a mischievous grin and a raise of her eyebrows as she removed her hand away. Both instantly missing that connection and spark.

"I set you up for that one, huh?" She nodded, smirking. At that, he put the RV into drive and made his way out of the parking garage.

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><p>"Castle, how much longer?" Kate whined.<p>

They had been on the road for a good two hours now. They still had a to go before they reached their finally destination.

"A little bit longer. Probably won't get there for at least a few more hours," he answered, his eyes glued to the vacant road ahead of them. Every now and then, he would glance over at her. It was nice to see her relax for once and just enjoy herself. Her knees were bent and her feet rested on the dash. She looked so at peace, totally different from the stressed and tired Detective he was so accustomed to. This little trip was going to be good for her, get her away from all the hustle and bustle of the city.

"And where exactly are we going?" Kate questioned.

"Oh no," he shook his head. "I'm not gonna tell you," he looked over at her. "It's a surprise."

"I've had enough surprises for the day, thank you," she sneered.

"The only surprise you've had today was the RV."

"Exactly," she nodded her head. "That's one surprise too many."

"Spoil-sport," Rick pouted mockingly. Kate's reply was sticking her tongue out at him. "Here," he said as he moved his right hand to the dash, then to the CD player. "This will help keep you distracted." He pressed the play button and it began to the first song on the disc: "_Stuck on You_" by Elvis Presley.

The playing of drums and a piano started to play. "Really?" She pondered. Rick raised his hand to silence her.

When Elvis started singing, he sung along with him, "You can shake an apple off an apple tree. Shake-a, shake- sugar, but you'll never shake me. Uh-uh-uh, no-sir-ee, uh, uh." He lifted his upper lip, attempting to look like Elvis, but failed miserably. "I'm gonna stick like glue, stick, because I'm stuck on you," he lifted his right hand and pointed at Kate.

Kate was staring at him. She had a huge smile starting to grow on her face, Rick looked utterly confused. Then all of a sudden, she burst into a fit of laughter, clutching her sides and gasping for air. Tears started to slide down her cheeks. She attempted to say something but nothing came out, just more bubbles of laughter.

Once she calmed down enough to where she could actually speak, she wiped her eyes and smiled at him. "You were right, that _was_ distracting. But tell me this," In more serious tone, she asked teasingly, "_T__hat_ was your impression of Elvis?" She was trying to stifle her giggles with her hand covering her mouth but it wasn't doing anything to help hide her amusement.

Rick reached over and pressed the pause button. "What? I thought that it was a good impression!" He whined, upset.

"Are you kidding me?" Kate questioned sarcastically. "You sounded like a dying walrus!" She fell back into another fit of giggles, her feet tapping back and forth against the dash. Her head fell back against the head-rest as she laughed. She hadn't laughed this hard in ages.

"Like you could sing better than that!" He challenged with a smirk.

She stopped laughing right away when she heard him. She looked at him questionably before she gave in. Leaning over her chair, closer to Castle, Beckett glared at him and whispered, "Oh, I _can._ And I _will."_

Turning the song back on, she began singing along to the next verse, "Gonna run my fingers through your long black hair," when she sang that line, Kate lifted a hand to Rick's head and ran her long fingers through his soft hair, taunting him. This caused him to swerve a bit before he brought the RV back on the correct course.

She continued singing, "Squeeze you tighter than a grizzly bear. Uh-uh-uh, yes-sir-ee, uh, uh. I'm gonna stick like glue, stick, because I'm stuck on you," and like Rick did to her earlier, Kate pointed at him. Her voice was beautiful, it filled the entire RV with her sultry tones.

Rick smiled at her as they both sung along, belting out the words to the next verse, "Hide in the kitchen, hide in the hall. Ain't gonna do you no good at all. 'Cause once I catch ya and the kissin' starts, a team o' wild horses couldn't tear us apart!"

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><p>The two had sung to about a dozen other fun and upbeat songs before they grew tired of singing at the top of their lungs, and that was about an hour and a half ago. They were almost at their final destination, they'd been on the road for a good three and a half hours now. Kate was fast asleep in her chair, curled up in a little ball.<p>

Rick couldn't help but admire her, just taking her in. She was at peace, so relaxed. And it was the most amazing sight. Kate was the most beautiful woman he's ever met, inside and out. The thing that attracted him most to her was her strength and her heart. When he'd first met her, she was as stubborn as nails; she didn't fall all over him like most woman do. She was different. And he knew then that he needed to be around her as much as humanly possible.

He glanced over at her and smiled. Trailing his eyes down to her lips, he thought back to their undercover kiss. Oh how he wished to feel those soft and luscious lips against his again, hear her moan against his lips, and hold her close...

Sighing to himself, he focused his attention back to the road.

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><p>"Kate? Kate?" Feeling a hand on her shoulder, she groaned. "Time to get up, sleepyhead," Rick cooed.<p>

Slowing opening her eyes, she found herself getting lost in pools of blue. Rick was kneeling right beside her chair, smiling at her. Sitting up, she wiped the sleep from her eyes and yawned. "Ugh...what time is it?" She asked groggily as she stretched her arms above her head.

"A little after eleven," he answered, looking at his watch and standing up. "You were knocked out for quite some time."

Looking out the window, all Kate could see were dozens of acres of trees, a mountain range and a large crystal clear lake. "Where are we?" She rose from her seat.

"Welcome to the Adirondack Mountains!"

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><p><strong>Well there ya go! :D <strong>

**All of the mistakes are mine...let me know what y'all think! & be kind...thanks for reading! Love y'all! & if you have any scenarios/requests you want to see, PM me! :D  
><strong>

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	4. Chapter 4

**Hi there!**

**Okay, I had a blast writing this one! And I think I'm_ finally_ over my writer's block. Praise the Lord! Now, I hope y'all like it! I worked hard on it.**

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/**

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><p><strong>[Chapter 4]<strong>

"Wow," Kate uttered.

Opening the door, she descended the small steps with Rick close behind. The gravel crushed beneath her feet as she stepped off the last step and onto the hard ground. The sun was shining brightly down on them. A few scattered clouds covered the sky. Birds flew over their heads and the smell of pine trees was in full abundance.

She twirled in a small circle, taking in her surroundings. An old picnic bench sat to their right, along with an old grill and a small fire pit. In the far distance on their left was a lake with a mountain range over looking it. Kate closed her eyes and drew in a slow, deep breath of fresh air. She loved the city to bits, it was her home, but she loved nature just as much.

She opened her eyes, letting the sounds and smells overtake her as she looked at nature's beauty. "It's breathtaking. Beautiful."

"Sure is," Rick commented, but he wasn't looking at the scenery, he was looking at Kate. "Extraordinary," he whispered.

She turned her focus over to him, a pink tint coloring her cheeks. He smiled softly at her, and she returned the smile. A few seconds passed as the detective and the writer got lost, once more, in each other. But it felt like a lot longer than just mere seconds, it felt like minutes, hours even. Their surroundings faded. It was just the two of them; no RV, no lake, no mountains, no anything. Just them.

It then suddenly dawned on Kate that they still had to unpack and set up camp. Regrettably, she tore her eyes away from Rick, and turned toward the RV. In an eager tone, she said, "All right, let's start unloading!" She marched with determination for the door to gather their things but Rick caught her arm and pulled her back before she had the chance.

"Whoa! Hold on there, Laura Ingalls Wilder!" She glared at him. "We've got to put the chocks in place-" He released her and went to the storage compartments on the right side of the RV, opening it. "-so that way the RV won't roll away," he continued. He took out several yellow tire blocks and a small rubber hammer.

Kneeling down, Rick placed one of the chocks underneath a tire. Then grabbing the hammer, he hit it into place so it was nice and secure. He did the same to the other tires, four in total. Two in the rear tires and two in the front tires. Kate watched him intently as he put the last chock in place.

"There, all set," he sighed as he put the hammer back in the compartment, closing it. "_Now_, we can start unpacking," he smirked.

* * *

><p>It had taken them quite while to set up camp but they finally finished. And they would've been done sooner had Rick not gotten tangled up in the tent...<em>twice<em>.

"Okay," he prompted. "What would you like to do? We can go fishing, we can go on a hike or a walk, whatever you'd like." They were sitting on the old wooden picnic bench. Rick occupying one side, Kate the other. They'd sat there for a while, just trying to take it easy after their little wrestling match with the tent.

She thought about it for a bit before coming to a decision. "A walk sounds amazing."

Rick didn't say anything, he picked up his discarded hat from the table and rose from the bench. His Tilley hat sat proud upon his head once again as he walked around the picnic table to her, sticking out his left arm in invitation for her to take. Kate bit her lip before she looped her right arm through his without hesitation. Her hand grasped his bicep, which she immediately noticed was strong and muscular.

They left the campsite, finding themselves strolling along the magnificent lake. Coming to a stop, Rick and Kate stood in a comfortable silence.

Kate glanced at Castle for a moment, a smile spread on her face as an idea formed in her head. Releasing her arm from his, she moved a few feet ahead and bent down to the gravel. Many different colored and sized stones covered the earth. Picking the flattest stone she could find, Kate stood and with a flick of her wrist she sent the stone across the water. It skimmed the surface, bouncing an impressive four times before it splashed and disappeared beneath the lake.

Looking over her shoulder, she grinned, a sparkle lit in her eyes. And all she said was, "Beat that." She was challenging him. And if you knew Rick, you'd know that he never backs away from a challenge.

He strutted over, coming to a halt in front of her. Repeating her exact words from earlier in the RV, "Oh, I can. And I will."

She crossed her arms. "How about we make things _interesting_," Kate sneered, a mischievous smile found it's way to her face.

"Keep talking," he simply said.

"Loser has to cook dinner _and_ clean up afterwards; no complaining. Sound good?" She rose an eyebrow in question.

"Yes." He took a step closer to her, invading her personal space. "Especially since I know _you _are going to be making my dinner."

"Bit arrogant, aren't we?"

"Not arrogant. Right." Rick stated proud.

"Oh, that's it!" Kate snarled. Roughly poking him in the chest, punctuating each word with a jab at his chest, "You're going to eat your words, Mr. Castle!"

"Bring it on, Miss Beckett!"

As soon as the last word was said, they scrambled for as many flat stones as they could find. Once they each had their own piles of stone, the competition began.

"Go on, Castle. Ladies first," she was taunting him, getting him fired up so he'd get flustered and screw up.

Ignoring her remark, (or at least trying to anyways) Rick grabbed a stone from his small pile. Taking a calming breath, he spread his feet out a bit and crouched down, bending his knees. Pulling his arm back, he slowly flicked his arm forward then he pulled it back again, not letting go of the stone. He kept swinging his arm back and forth, practicing his throwing technique. He looked completely ridiculous.

"Will you just throw the stone already?" Kate shrieked, growing a bit impatient. That little shriek happened just as he brought his arm forward again, causing him to drop the stone. He wasn't prepared for her to yell at him, it freaked him out.

The stone hit the ground with a loud thump. _"Hey!"_ He whined. "That's not fair! You messed me up!" He pointed a finger at her, pouting his lip as he did.

"What? It was an accident!" She defended. It really was. She didn't mean to startle him, she just wanted him to pick up his turtle-like pace. He was still pouting like a little kid before she relented. "Fine! Go again, you big crybaby."

Man, he really is a nine year old on a sugar rush! Beckett thought as she watched the frown on his face turn into a huge grin. He did a little fist pump before he grabbed another stone and got into his "ready position".

He swung his arm back and forth a few times before he flicked the stone across the lake. It bounced four times before hitting the water and sinking.

Rick screamed, _"Yes!"_ as he did a little victory dance. They were tied. "Ooh yeah! Whoo!" He kept celebrating by himself by jumping up and down, cheering, "I am the best! I am the best," over and over again.

"Oh, will you act your age?" Kate chided. "Jeez..." He stopped but not before doing one more little dance move.

Now, it was her turn. She picked up a stone from her pile. And without crouching or swinging her arm, she effortlessly flicked the stone making it bounce five times. Turning toward Rick, she laughed at the sight. His arms hung low on his sides, and he had a look of complete defeat on his face. His demeanor changed from gleeful to upset in a matter of seconds.

"Oh yeah! You're in my house, baby! Whoo!" Kate cheered as she, like Rick, did a little victory dance. It was good to see her enjoy herself and have fun but not at this particular moment. He was losing! She walked straight up to him and patted his cheek with her hand, saying, "Your turn, Ricky."

Rick gulped. He was in trouble now...

* * *

><p>While Kate was inside taking a steam shower in the RV, Rick was cooking dinner. He'd discarded his hat and was now donning a blue Kiss the Cook apron.<p>

She had kicked his butt in their competition earlier. The longest bounce he had was the four he threw first (well, second since he dropped the stone the first try). He didn't stand a chance against her. Kate's longest throw was six bounces! _Six!_ She killed him. And as was the agreement, Rick was stuck making dinner while Kate got to relax and have some alone time.

Kate stepped out of the RV totally refreshed from her shower. She had dried her hair and let it fall in soft waves framing her face. She wore an old, worn out NYPD hoodie, faded denim shorts and sneakers.

Upon hearing the door open, Rick greeted her without turning around, his back was to her. "Hey, I'm almost done with the burgers. How was your shower?"

"Refreshing," she smiled. "Just what I needed."

"Good. Glad to hear that!" He said as he flipped the burgers over with the tongs, whistling. While he cooked the burgers, Kate decided to set the table. "Hey, can you bring me our plates over, please?" Rick asked as put the burgers on the hamburger buns.

Kate brought the paper plates over to him. She noticed his apron and chuckled. "Nice apron."

Looking down at the apron, he smiled and then set one burger on each plate. "Thanks. It was a birthday present from Alexis." She smiled as she started to leave for the table but she didn't make it very far before Rick said, "Ah, not so fast. Aren't you forgetting something?"

She was flabbergasted, she had no idea what he was talking about. Rick slowly cocked his head to the side, signaling that he was waiting for her to kiss him on the cheek. Kate smiled as she figured out that that's what he wanted. Slowly standing on her tip-toes, she placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. Then she lowered down on her feet and sauntered over to the table.

That just made him grin like a fool as he watched her walk, her hips swinging slightly. He couldn't believe that she kissed him! He was just teasing her, he didn't think she'd actually go along with it. He finally made it over to the table, joining Kate. He still had a giant smile on. They silently put condiments on their hamburgers.

Dinner went along smoothly. Rick and Kate chatted about everything; how Alexis and Ashley were doing, Martha and her new beau, work, and how they thought the boys were doing in Kate's absence.

"Oh, that was delicious!" She told him as she finished the last bite. "I didn't know you were that good of a cook!"

"One of my many talents," he grinned, pleased that he did a job well done. She made to clean up her plate but he stopped her and said, "Nope. No cleaning up for you, part of the deal. Remember?" Rick stood and gathered their plates and trash. "But while I clean up do you mind starting the fire?" He asked as he walked to the garbage bin.

"Sure," Kate complied, standing up and going into the RV to get the lighter. She knelt down by the fire pit; there were rocks formed in a circle, making a barrier. Some twigs and branches were already set up, waiting to be lit. Flicking the lighter on, Kate cautiously lit the branches. The fire grew and started burning. A few sparks flew ever so often, and little puffs of smoke rose to the sky.

Sitting down on the ground, Kate leaned against one of the many logs surrounding the pit. Rick trudged over to her with bags of marshmallows, bars of chocolate, and boxes of graham crackers in his hands. "S'mores!" Plopping down next to her, he began opening the bags and boxes. "Here you go," handing Kate a slender metal rod.

"Thanks," she smiled softly, taking the rod from him.

"Now let's dig in!" Rick scrambled for the marshmallows like a little kid and placed one on the tip of the metal rod.

Holding onto the end of the rod, he set the tip with the marshmallow in the fire. When his marshmallow was a light brown, he grabbed two graham crackers and a piece of chocolate. Placing the chocolate on one of the graham crackers, he took the rod containing the marshmallow and squished it between the two grahams and chocolate. Slipping it off the rod, he stuffed it in his mouth. Rick had made and eaten four by the time Kate was done with her second.

"Whoa. Slow down there, big boy," she instructed.

"But they're good!" He said. Rick then moved his focus over to Kate, she was covering her mouth with her left hand, trying to stifle her laughter. "What's so funny?" He was confused. He had marshmallow remains and chocolate all over his mouth.

"Come here," she simply said as she crooked a finger his way.

Rick leaned his head toward her's. Kate swiped her thumb on her tongue before raising it to his face while her other hand was hold his chin, keeping him still. He froze immediately when he felt her finger sliding around his mouth. She was so focused on the task at hand that she didn't know that Rick was going doe-eyed.

Once she removed her hands from his face, she smiled warmly at him and went back to roasting marshmallows as if there was nothing wrong with what she just did. Rick was in shock. His jaw dropped and he remained staring at her.

Sensing him staring, she casually said without looking in his direction, "Castle, if you keep your mouth open like that much longer, you'll catch flies." Silently obeying her, Rick closed his mouth shut but continued to look at her in awe. Slowly, he turned back to facing the fire, not uttering a single word.

Kate stole a peek at him in the corner of her eye and grinned mischievously. _  
><em>

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><p><strong>YAY! :)<br>**

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	5. Chapter 5

**Hello there guys!**

**I just wanted to say thank you so much for all of your support! You guys rock! And I can't believe how many people are following and adding this story to their favorites. I am completely blown away! I love seeing my Inbox full of reviews and story alerts when I wake up in the morning. They really mean a lot to me! And I wouldn't be having this much fun writing this if it wasn't for y'all! So, just thank you from the bottom of my heart.**

**Now, I had a lot of fun writing this chapter! I hope that you guys find it funny and realistic...**

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/**

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><p><strong>[Chapter 5]<strong>

Rick had calmed down from Kate's little gesture after a few minutes. Silence covered over them as they ate the s'mores.

Kate sat there completely stuffed, she'd had enough s'mores to hold her for a very long time. He was roasting his sixth marshmallow, when he started talking, "You know, I use to bring Alexis up here when she was little every Fourth of July." Rick smiled as the memories flashed before his eyes.

She remained quiet, sensing that there was more. He got this sparkle in his eye as he continued. "We'd tell ghost stories, go fishing, make s'mores," at s'mores he winked and Kate smiled. "And then, on the night of the Fourth, I would set off a ton of fireworks. And I mean a ton! They'd light up the whole night sky, it was spectacular!" He bowed his head down, sighing, "It's just..."

Kate knew he was thinking of Alexis and how she wasn't here with her father. She finished his train of thought, "Different not having Alexis here."

"Exactly," he agreed. "But I like that it's just you and me," Rick then looked up at her, adding, "Now don't get me wrong! I miss her with all my heart but I like this," he gestured between the two of them with a finger, "A lot and I wouldn't change it for anything." Kate gave a small smile, not knowing what to say. "I'm really glad you came, Kate," he said genuinely, not tearing his eyes from her.

"Me, too, Rick." It was barely above a whisper.

Slowly leaning in, Rick glanced down at Kate's soft, plump lips then back up to her chocolate brown eyes. This was it, he was going to kiss her and she was going to let him! She licked her lips in anticipation and leaned in, too. Just as she was about to close her eyes, a light flickered and caught her eye.

Rick already had his eyes closed and was leaning in towards Kate. Before he reached her lips Beckett pushed on his chest with one hand, causing him to open his eyes immediately.

_"Castle!_ Your marshmallow is on fire!" She yelped, pointing at his flaming treat. Rick was confused; one second he was about to kiss Kate, the next he was being pushed upon and yelled at.

"Huh?" he asked dumbfounded. Kate took his head in her hands and made him look at the marshmallow. His eyes lit up as he clumsily stood up and started flinging the metal rod back and forth. "Ahh! Get off!" He shrieked. Finally after several unsuccessful attempts, it was put out. _"Whew!_ That could've been messy!" he sighed as he looked at the marshmallow.

What was left of the blackened marshmallow was burnt to a crisp and it remained on the tip of the rod; a few pieces slid off and landed on the ground.

Someone started laughing. Rick looked down to find Kate rolling on the ground laughing her head off. "Why is that funny?" He pondered, completely in shock. "It was on fire! _I_ could've been set on fire!" he exaggerated.

She pointed at him, several times as she tried to say something. In shorts gasps, she spluttered, "You should've...seen your...face!" She fell into another fit of laughter, clutching her sides. It was getting harder for her to breath with each gasp but she finally stopped after a bit.

"Yeah, that was very funny," he said sarcastically with a little pout.

"Ooh, I'm sawry, Castle. Did I huwt your wittle feelings?" She asked mockingly. He didn't say anything, he kept pouting. Kate laughed as she stood up, wiping off any traces of dirt off herself. "Well, this was fun!" She chuckled. "But I think I'm going to turn in." Walking past him she cooed seductively, "Good night, Ricky," That got him to perk up. She strutted toward the RV, swinging her hips the whole way.

Rick was getting turned on and fast. He had to think of something- _anything_- to keep him distracted. He grabbed a bucket of water that sat next to the pit and out of the fire. He needed to calm down! Then he realized something. "Hey, Beckett?" He called surprisingly normal.

She'd reached the steps when he called her. Beckett turned around. "Yeah?"

"Wh- why are you going in the RV, when there's a perfectly good tent right here?" He asked as he walked over to the tent, patting the top.

"Castle, I don't do tents. Never have, never will," Kate left it at that as she disappeared inside the RV as he sighed to himself, but a scream pulled him out of his thoughts.

Uh-oh. Beckett.

She ran out of there as fast as she could. When she reached Rick she was panting. "Hey, hey. What's wrong? What is it?" He grabbed her shoulders. He was concerned, he'd never seen her this freaked out over something before.

"Th- there is something in the RV!" She yelped, pointing back at the vehicle.

"What's in the RV?"

"I- I don't know. But it looked big. And it was in the kitchen! It was some sort of animal."

"Okay, I'm going to go see what it is. You stay here." He crouched down and went to the RV. Rick ran into the side, near the door, with his back pressed firmly against it. His arms were spread apart. He looked like he was trying to live his dream of being a spy or secret agent. He climbed into the RV as quietly as he could.

The door shut as Rick stepped in.

Kate waited anxiously outside. He was taking forever in there, what was the hold up?_  
><em>

Just as she was about to walk over to the RV there's a big, loud crash inside. And before she could run to see what happened, Rick came screaming out like a little girl, flailing his arms. Slamming the door closed, all he yelled was, "SKUNK!" And he ran to Kate, hiding behind her.

"Skunk? What do you mean by skunk?" She asked, perplexed as she turned around to face him.

"There's a giant skunk in there!" He shrieked. "What do we do about food? About our clothes? What if I have to pee?" He started breathing heavily.

"Castle. Castle, calm down!"

_"Calm down?_ How can I possibly calm down when there's a damn skunk in there? And I thought that you were scared of it? What's wrong with you, woman?"

"Let's just go see if we can catch it and set it free," she suggested, totally ignoring his question.

"No! Mm-mm," he shook his head. "We can't go in there!"

"And why not?" Kate asked, peeved as she crossed her arms.

"It sorta, um..." He stuttered.

"It sorta what, Castle?"

He made an explosion motion with his hands, "Poof."

"Are you kidding me?" She was mad.

"Wish I was," he answered, biting his lip nervously.

"So, what do we do now? I mean, we obviously can't go inside," she ran a timid hand through her hair.

"Well, I think that we should stay clear of the RV until tomorrow morning. Maybe it will have cleared out by then." Kate nodded in agreement. Rick looked at the tent behind him, seeing as they didn't really have any other options. He silently opened one flap at the entrance.

"No. I hate sleeping in tents! Whenever I went camping with my parents we'd never sleep in a tent, always an RV or little trailer," she complained.

"We really don't have a choice, Kate. Unless you wanna go back in there," he pointed at the RV with a raise of his eyebrows and a small smug grin on his face.

She looked at the RV, then back at the tent. "Tent's fine!" And she quickly went inside.

"That's what I thought," he grinned as he stepped inside, zipping the tent closed. The tent was rather cramped inside. There wasn't much room to move around in, it was packed. The floor was covered in a plethora of blankets and assorted cushions. It actually looked rather comfortable.

"Castle, you stay on that side," Kate pointed to her left. "And I'll stay on this side," pointing to her right. Sitting down on the ground, she found it quite soft and comfy. "Wow, this isn't too bad. It's pretty soft." She ran a hand along the different blanket materials, testing them out with her fingers.

Rick took a seat at his side of the tent. He then started to take off his hiking boots and vest. "Ahh...there," he sighed once the constricting boots were finally off. "Much better." While Rick did that, Kate slipped her sneakers off and set them near the tent opening. He then did the same with his vest and boots, folding his vest and setting the boots on top.

"Now, you see? This isn't bad at all," Rick said as he started to get himself situated. "Wow," he blurted out after a few minutes of silence.

Kate looked at him, "What?"

"I just realized something," he smiled at her.

"That you scream like a girl?" She teased.

"No," he frowned a bit. "That I've finally gotten you to sleep with me after all these years." He winked and flashed that oh-so alluring smile of his.

"Technically, this isn't a bed, Castle." KAte pointed out the obvious. "It's just blankets, cushions, and pillows." Yet that all may be true, she didn't deny the fact that they were going to be "sleeping together".

"But have you ever noticed-" he peered around the small space. "-how beds are made up of the same things; blankets, pillows, and cushions. All we're missing is a mattress."

He had a good point.

Instead of replying to his earlier statement, Kate remained quiet as a sudden plan came together in her head. Rick figured with the lack of response that he should just drop it. He laid his head down on the pillow, his hands coming to rest clasped behind his head. He closed his eyes and laid there relaxed.

"Man, aren't you getting hot?" Kate asked, fanning herself with her hand.

With his eyes still closed, he answered, "Not really. It's actually quite cool in here."

"Well, I'm burning up." She then began to remove the heavy NYPD hoodie off. Rick could hear the rustle of clothing and opened his eyes, cocking his head to the side. His eyes popped out like saucers. With the hoodie gone, all she wore on top was a white, tight fitting tank top that was way less then decent. He sat up straight, never taking his eyes off of her.

He gulped. She did not just do that.

But the tightening of his shorts was all the confirmation he needed. Rick's shorts were feeling more and more constricting by the second. He quickly pulled a blanket over his lap, attempting to cover his growing arousal. He tore his eyes away from her and stared at the top of the tent. Rick continued thinking of as many non-sexy things as he could until he was calmer.

"Hey, you okay?" Kate asked, not so innocently. She knew that she'd get this type of reaction. And no matter how hard he had tried, Rick didn't do a very good job to cover the bulge in his pants. It was a bit of a turn on to see him act this way and that she held this much power over him. But she quickly gained control and was able to calm herself down.

He shook his head yes, not trusting himself to talk at the moment, or look at her.

Kate smiled evilly to herself, her plan worked. "Okay, well I'm going to go to sleep now," she stated as she lowered herself, not hinting that she did what she did on purpose. With her back to Rick, she called over her shoulder, "Night, Rick."

"Ni- night," he mumbled. He was still in shock.

After a few moments of him staring at nothing, Rick laid down. He peeked over at Kate, who was now fast asleep. Every so often she would make a little snort sound, which he found incredibly sexy. He definitely knew what his dreams were going to be centered around tonight! Rick smiled before he closed his eyes, sleep soon overtaking him.

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><p>Rick was awoken to rays of sun shining through the flimsy material of the tent. He moved to get up but there was something on top of him, preventing him to do so. Then he felt the rising and falling of a weight on his chest.<p>

His eyes opened in a shot, coming to rest on the one and only Kate Beckett.

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><p><strong>There you go!<br>**

**Please leave a review and tell me your thoughts! I'd really appreciate it! And I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as I can!**

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	6. Chapter 6

**Hi guys!**

**This is why this story is rated M. I hope that it doesn't seem like I moved things along too fast...I just couldn't help it! lol. Hope y'all like it! :D **

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/**

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><p><strong>[Chapter 6]<strong>

His left arm was wrapped securely around her shoulders, his hand rested on her side. Her arm was curled over his midsection; her hand was bundled in his navy shirt, bunching up the material. Kate's hair was tussled, tickling his neck whenever she shifted in her sleep. A stray lock of her chestnut curls escaped and laid upon her cheek. Rick gently brushed the unruly tendril behind her ear with his right hand, using that as a chance to feel the delicate skin without fear of the threat of injury. Her skin was as soft as he'd imagined.

Rick sighed of contentment as he took in this beautiful and breathtaking woman in his arms. Her face was so close to his own. And looking down at her lips, it reminded him of their almost-kiss the previous night. He still couldn't believe that she was going to allow him to kiss her. She didn't waver from it, instead she embraced it. But he just had to go and mess that up! If his stupid marshmallow hadn't caught fire, then there was nothing that could've stopped him from covering her lips with his own.

And yet, if it hadn't been for the skunk, they wouldn't be wrapped up in each others arms right now. With that, Rick concluded that if the chance ever came up again, he wouldn't let anything get in his way! They've already hit many road blocks in the past that prevented them from their true feelings and it was about damn time that they dive into things together.

Placing a chaste kiss on top of her hair, breathing in her scent as he did. Cherries. He smiled softly. Rick pulled her closer to him, their bodies meshing together perfectly. Laying his head back on his pillow, he closed his eyes just enjoying the moment. Kate would most likely be waking up soon and he wanted to savor this moment as long as possible.

As soon as he closed his eyes, she began to stir, so he kept eyes closed, pretending to be asleep. Kate was still in that state of half asleep and half awake. She shifted her head so that her face was buried in the crook of his neck. Slowly coming out of her daze, she opened her eyes and took her in her surroundings. Her pillow was hard yet soft and very comfortable. Then it started moving and that's when she realized that she was laying on top of a certain blue-eyed, ruggedly handsome author. She must've moved in her sleep and ended up in his arms. Not that she minded one bit.

Feeling the steady breathing under her, she figured that he was still asleep. Little did she know that he was wide awake. Looking up at his face, she smiled. Tentatively, she raised a hand and ran it over Rick's cheek. She felt a little stubble that was growing in but other than that, his cheek was warm and soft to the touch.

She moved passed his lips, barely grazing them with her finger. As she did this, she thought back to last night and how they were so close to kissing. How it was halted in a instant. Cuddling back into him, she laid her head on his chest. Taking in a deep breath, she relished in the security and protectiveness she felt whenever she was near or around him.

It took Rick every bit of strength and control of his being to not open his eyes the moment he felt her touch his cheek. And it was almost impossible for him to not announce his presence when her finger came into contact with his lips.

Rick started to shift. Kate felt this and looked into his face, her chin resting on his solid chest. As he opened his eyes, he was met with pools of green.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty," she greeted with a smile and chuckle.

"Morning..." he mumbled. "Well, well, well. Isn't this a pleasant surprise." He knew that she was there the whole time but she didn't need to know that.

Kate blushed. "Yes, it is. You make a good pillow, Castle."

"Glad to be of assistance," he grinned. Another lock of hair fell and came loose, and he rose a hand, delicately tucking it behind her ear. Rick let his hand rest on her cheek, rubbing it with the pad of his thumb. Unconsciously, Kate leaned into his hand and smiled. Both felt that warm and tingling feeling flow through out their bodies.

Their eyes never strayed from each other's, staying locked. Kate raised a hand to his forehead, wiping the hair that fell in front of his eyes to the side. His hair was as smooth as it looked. She kept her hand there longer than necessary but she didn't care and neither did he. Finally lowering her hand, she rested her own on top of Rick's which still laid on her cheek. She ran her thumb over his fingers in a small but steady rhythm, the sensations sent goosebumps up his spine and a fire ignited inside her core.

Both Rick and Kate leaned in simultaneously. Rick moved his hand down to her neck, bringing her head closer to his while Kate's hand slid down to his rock hard chest, stalling there. Eyes closed, their lips briefly touched. As soon as he could feel her lips upon his own, he knew this was right.

Their kiss started out as soft and gentle, but it gradually built up and they wanted- no needed more. Their lips competed for dominance. Kate ran her tongue across his lips, silently asking for him to grant her entrance into his mouth. He complied. Her tongue battled with his as their kiss grew hotter and hotter with each passing second. Hands roamed and bodies grew warmer.

Putting everything into this kiss, Kate showed him, without words, how much he meant to her and how much she loved him. Rick definitely got the message. He put it all out there, too. Eventually, they had to separate with the lack of oxygen to their lungs.

They remained close, both panting heavily with huge grins on their faces. Opening her eyes, Kate's heart strings gave a little tug. He was the most gorgeous thing she'd ever laid eyes on. His eyes were closed, his lips were a bit swollen from their kiss, and he had the biggest smile on his face. Rick eventually opened his eyes to find her staring at him, love and desire burning in her eyes. Running his hands down, he rested them on the small of her back, rubbing small circles with his fingers.

Kate's arms circled around his neck, toying with the short hair there. Very softly, she whispered, "I love you, Rick." When those words fell from her mouth, his heart skyrocketed. His love for this incredible woman grew even more than he thought possible. And he has a pretty big imagination.

"I love you, too, Kate," he uttered. Adding, just above a whisper, "Always."

Kate's heart did leaps and bounds. How had she gotten so lucky to have such a wonderful and down to earth man? He never ceased to amaze her.

Leaning back in, she met his lips with her own. Rick's strong arms circled around her waist. Flashes of sensual heat coursed throughout her body when he flipped them over, covering Kate with the solid weight of him. There was no time to think, only to feel. She could feel the throbbing length of him pressed against her center and the way he ravished her mouth, as if she were the only substance he needed to keep him alive. Kate began to fell the liquid arousal pool between her thighs as his hands seemed to move everywhere at once.

They were lost in a steamy kiss, caressing softly. Rick buried his face in her neck while her fingers combed through his dark hair. His lips paid homage to the cherry-scented skin of her neck, grazing tenderly over her pulse point before nipping at the column of her throat. As his kisses descended, her heart began to beat faster and faster in anticipation of what was to come.

Rick broke the kiss. He lowered his hands down to the hem of her tank top, then looked into her eyes and asked for permission. Kate rose a hand up to his neck and placed a kiss on his lips, smiling when they broke apart. They were still mere inches from each other's lips.

"I'm all yours," she told him in a whisper and a little nod of her head.

Rick kissed her gently once again before he pulled back and began raising her tank top up slowly, new pieces of flesh were exposed with every tug. Rick was so thankful that she wasn't wearing a bra, it made things much easier. Kate now laid before him partially naked. As he started to unbutton her denim shorts, her words and hands stopped him.

"You have way too many clothes on...now that isn't fair, is it?" she purred seductively with a smirk and a pursed lips.

Rick only nodded as he felt her small hands slide under his shirt, grazing over his stomach and chest. She then lifted the shirt off of his body, smiling as she took in the view of him.

"Mm...where have you been hiding?" Kate wondered as she stared at his hard and muscular chest. A dark trail of hair ran from his naval and disappeared down beneath his shorts.

"Behind a desk," he replied with a smug grin.

"Well, that is no place for you, my dear Ricky." She batted her eyelashes as she, too, gave a smirk of her own. "No place at all..." she trailed off.

He chuckled a deep and throaty laugh before a giant smile grew on his face and an idea was planted in his mind. Then out of nowhere, he began to tickle her sides causing her to squeal in surprise. Kate was laughing so hard that she was gasping for air. She tried to push his hands away but he was stronger than she was. She couldn't fight him off.

_"Stop!"_ She yelped, still laughing like crazy. Tears started to spill from her eyes.

"What's the magic word?" He asked in sing-song, teasing.

"Pl-please, Rick!" She cried out.

At her plea, he stopped. Trying to catch her breath, Kate wiped the tears from her eyes. Rick hovered over her, looking at her with love and adoration in his eyes.

"My God, you're beautiful..." he whispered as he lowered his face down toward her, kissing her again. Kate was a bit taken back by this abrupt change in moods but that didn't stop her from returning his kiss. The atmosphere changed in an instant, the tent was heating up.

Without breaking their kiss, Rick's hands slid down and began to unbutton Kate's denim shorts. When they were undone, in one fluid motion, he slid them down her legs along with her red lace panties. Carelessly, he tossed them to the side. As soon as she felt him removing her bottoms, she began to take his shorts off. Kate pulled his shorts and boxers down his legs, simultaneously, allowing him to slip his legs out of them. Both were now completely naked.

Rick pulled his lips from her's to admire her. She was the most spectacular thing he's ever seen and she is all his. Her hair was spread out all over the pillow, she looked like a goddess.

"Wow..." he uttered in complete awe of the woman beneath him.

She smiled to herself as she looked at the man above her. He was built and strong. As her eyes traveled lower, she was in shock. Rick was huge!

"Wow, indeed," Kate whispered.

Then Rick took her without warning, but Kate's body submitted without question. There were no words, only emotion.

A breathy warmth fell over a nipple before he firmly cupped his hand beneath her breast. Rick inhaled the peak in his mouth, then sucked on the tip until she writhed and moved beneath him. Her back arched high as a loud groan escaped her lips. Kate's hand held the back of his head to her breast, reveling in the sweet bliss. Her nipple hardened between his lips as he suckled her softly at first, and then the pressure increased until she was purring as her nails scratched over his scalp. His hand roamed over her chest and abdomen, touching and caressing her all over. His tongue left a wet trail over her cleavage before drowning the other nipple in his hungry mouth, he then pulled and sucked on it powerfully.

Rick seemed in awe by every inch of her, his kisses now descending her chest to her flat and toned belly. He pressed his face there, just breathing for a long moment as if to glorify her. Enjoying her reaction of his touch, his tongue dashed a long lick at her naval. She quivered and so he did it again, his hands braced on her hips to steady her.

The small sounds that escaped her left him so hard it was almost painful for him not to claim her now, but he swore to himself he'd take his time adorning and worshiping her. He slowly kissed his way down to her hips, intentionally missing the placed she longed for him to touch. Rick slid down her strong legs, kissing every inch of her. When he reached Kate's toes, he took one in his mouth, sucking on it. This caused her to moan and giggle at the same time.

The man had a talented mouth. Kate was soaking wet and she needed him, she needed him to fill her completely.

A lazy smile adorned her lips grew when she felt the softest of kisses crawling up her body until Rick was kissing her again. She loved the solid, protective feel of his body covering hers.

"Wait. I don't have a condom..." Rick sighed, looking down.

"Rick." Rick looked at Kate. "I'm on the pill. It's okay," she lightly smiled, her hand went to his cheek.

A huge grin broke out on his face. Thank God for this wonderful, smart, and sexy woman. "I love you, Kate," he briefly kissed her.

"I love you, Rick," she whispered over his lips while wrapping her legs around his torso.

The tip of him begged entrance and then he slowly thrust forward deeply inside her, causing her eyes to roll back as he filled her completely. "Oh, I love you so much...Kate."

"Oohh," she moaned in a half-growl after that first piercing thrust.

"Extraordinary," he sighed quietly into her ear after a second deep thrust that forced her arms to wrap around his neck. "Mine" and "Always" are the words that Rick chanted over and over as his hips began thrusting steadily, pulsing inside Kate's depths and core.

Her nails raked over the hard planes of his muscular back and shoulders. They then descended, clawing at his firm ass, pulling him farther inside of her. He was taking her with such longing. Kate was so small beneath him, her teeth gently bit into his neck after each deep invasion. She pulled his face to her own, devouring his lips with a kiss so furiously passionate he longed to die inside her.

"Oh...Rick." Kate needed this. To feel him spreading her flesh open, taking her as his own..._finally_.

The sight of her beautiful face flushed with color and faint traces of sweat left Rick aching and reaching for her. She was so tight and warm around him, even as her body tensed beneath him. Kate stiffened, suddenly writhing full body while every muscle in his body clenched.

They came together. Kate's face smothered in his neck, moaning his name softly as the feeling of him erupting hard inside her. Her name spilled from his lips as he came.

No words were spoken between the pair because words, for what they shared, were unnecessary. Their satisfied and sweat-soaked bodies collapsed around each other, never falling apart. After they laid together in silence, a sudden thought came to Rick's head. He looked down at Kate with a look of shock on his face.

"What is it?" she questioned, a bit concerned.

He simply asked, "What are we going to do about the skunk?"

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><p><strong>There you go!<strong>

**Please leave a review! :) And I know that a tent isn't very romantic, but it was either that or the stinky RV...****If you guys have any ideas, let me know!**

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	7. Chapter 7

**Hello!  
><strong>

**The response for the last chapter was amazing! Thank you all so much for your reviews! They really means a lot to me! This super long chapter is dedicated to my incredible and amazing precinct gang! You guys know who you are :) Y'all are the best!**

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/  
><strong>

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><p><strong>[Chapter 7]<strong>

"Oh, right," she suddenly realized. "The skunk..."

Rick sighed, "We have to get rid of it."

"But how? I mean if we scare it, then it will go into defensive mode and I don't know about you, but I'd rather not get sprayed."

"Maybe it left," Rick thought hopefully.

"Maybe...well, there's only one way to find out."

Kate untangled herself from Rick's arms and lifted herself up into a sitting position. She cocked her head down and smiled at the naked man below her. He was pouting, begging her to lay back down and to just forget about the skunk, at least for now. He had other plans in mind, _dirtier_ plans...

"Please stay," he pleaded. Rick was running a hand up and down her back in slow motions, drawing random patterns with his fingers. Eve

Without saying another word, Kate smiled at Rick as she lowered herself on top of him, their hips aligning perfectly. Her breasts were pressed against his hard chest so closely that the sensation was becoming too much for either of them. Kate slowly ground her hips against his, drawing a deep moan from the back of Rick's throat.

With their lips mere inches apart, she huskily cooed, "The skunk will have to wait." She ground her hips into his once again, Rick's eyes closed immediately. ".I'm a bit _preoccupied_ at the moment."

Their lips crashed against one another's in a heated and powerful kiss.

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><p>After a morning filled with lust and passion, the two lovebirds finally removed themselves from the confines of the small tent and began their day. They got dressed in their clothes from last night, seeing as they didn't really have a choice.<p>

Rick and Kate stood at the bottom of the small steps that led into the RV. Rick held one of the metal rods from their s'mores last night in a tight, vice-like grip. Kate firmly had in her hand her own metal rod. Both were rather nervous as to wait laid behind the door. Was the little creature still there? Well, as Kate said earlier, there's only one way to find out.

"On the count of three," Rick commanded, his free hand rested on the handle of the door. Kate nodded. "One..." he whispered

"Two..." she counted.

"Three!" They screeched simultaneously.

Rick yanked the door open and ran inside before Kate, she quickly followed him. He ran all the way to the back where the bedrooms were, while he repeatedly muttered, "Here, Mr. Skunk." The rod was raised up like a spear. Kate stayed close behind him, searching for any sudden movements or sounds.

After an extensive search of the vehicle, they came up with nada. The skunk was not here. Although, the lovely aroma that it left behind was in full force.

"Uck...this place smells awful," she covered her mouth with the sleeve of her hoodie, not being able to bear the disgusting scent anymore. Her eyes began to water a bit. "What now, genius?"

Rick had two fingers pressed against the sides of his nose, preventing the smell from penetrating his nostrils. "Well," his voice was high and squeaky. "I have a handful of air fresheners in the cabinets, some Frebreeze spray, and I think a few fans. Plus, we can open all the windows to see if the stench can be blown out."

She concluded that they didn't have very many options, it'd have to do. "Alright, let's get going then." They set the metal rods down on the nearby counter.

The duo went to work, going through all of the cabinets until they found the Frebreeze sprays and air fresheners. Kate set off to open all of the windows whilst Rick emptied out all of the contents in the spray bottle on every inch of the inside of RV. The air fresheners were scattered all over the place, as were the fans. Soon, the disgusting smell of the skunk was minimized. It was still there but it was a heck of a lot less powerful then it had been earlier.

"Much better," Rick grinned once they finished deodorizing the vehicle. "Now, my dear." He wrapped his arms around her waist, his chest pressed firmly against her back. He rested his chin on her shoulder. "I don't know about you, but I really need a shower." Rick nipped at her neck, causing a small whimper to escape Kate's lips. "Would you care to join me?" he asked, lust growing in his voice.

Both seemed to have forgotten about the less horrendous stench, their minds were currently else where.

"Mmm," Kate hummed as he placed gentle kisses along her throat, his lips reached her ear. Taking her ear lobe into his welcoming mouth, Rick tugged on it gently, earning a moan from Kate.

While he sucked on the lobe, his hands traveled down to her denim shorts, slipping a hand beneath, past her panties and down to her warmth. One long, calloused finger found it's way to her clit and flicked it, making Kate jump in surprise. He loved seeing her reaction, so he did it again. His finger rubbed the nub in circular motions, Kate bucked her hips into his hand. She was getting close.

Just as she was about to teeter over the edge, his hand stopped. Raising his hand from underneath her shorts, Rick had a cocky smile plastered on his lips. He'd teased her and now it was his turn to be teased.

Kate quickly turned around and pulled Rick closer to her by yanking on his shirt, the fabric bunched up under her hands. "You're going to pay for that," she grinned evilly.

"I intend to," he smirked.

Their bodies were lined up exactly, so Kate couldn't miss his arousal pressing into her lower stomach. He was rock hard and throbbing. Kate's grin grew even more sinister than before as a hand that was on his shirt grazed down to his belt buckle. Tantalizingly slow, she undid the buckle and slid the zipper down.

She reached beneath his boxers and came across his cock. Her hand grasped him in her delicate hand and squeezed, Rick groaned. While the hand that was rubbing and squeezing his member, the other was in the process of removing his shirt. With the shirt discarded, Kate removed her hand from his shorts and trailed it up his toned chest. Rick sighed in frustration at the loss of touch down south. Her fingers ran over his pectoral muscles, and her nails briefly grazed over his nipples, making him hiss in shock and in pleasure.

Very slowly, Kate lowered her head down and captured one of his nipples into her mouth, biting on it with her teeth. Then she dashed her tongue over the reddening area, soothing it. She treated his other nipple with equal affection. Before she removed her face from his chest, she placed the softest kiss over his heart.

Rick was in heaven, and this woman was his angel. She never seized to amaze him. Kate looked into his blue eyes and smiled, he smiled back.

He looked down at her, head to toe and then back up. "You're way too over dressed." She looked down at her self and realized that he was right. While she still had her hoodie and shorts on, Rick was shirtless and his shorts were hanging low on his hips, unbuckled. "We're gonna have to change that," he waggled his eyebrows.

His hands moved down to the hem of her hoodie, raising it and exposing every glorious inch by glorious inch of skin. And like the night before, she wasn't wearing a bra, but this time she neglected the white tank top. She was a sight to behold, Rick grinned like a madman.

Without saying a word, he pulled her to him, their chests rubbing together in a sweet friction. His lips met hers in a gentle and tender kiss, it was the most erotic and incredible kiss either of them had ever experienced. This kiss wasn't desperate or frantic, it was compassionate and slow.

Pulling away, with their eyes still closed, the couple wore matching smiles. When they opened their eyes, Rick's smile grew mischievous and lustful. He needed her..._now_! Taking the initiative, he took Kate's hand and lead her to the shower.

Opening the glass door, he turned the nob, running the water. Rick faced Kate again and began to remove her shorts. Soon, the two of them were totally naked and completely ready for one another. Stepping into the spray of the shower, he immediately pressed her body against the wall and crashed his mouth on hers in a fiery and heated kiss. Her arms circled his neck, bringing him even closer. The water cascaded down on them, soaking their bodies. Rick's hands rested in either side of her head, pushing on the tiles of the wall.

They battled for control, and their tongues dueled. Rick rubbed his cock against her entrance, silently telling her what he wanted- _no,_ what he needed. Receiving his signal, Kate wrapped her long legs around his hips, hoisting herself up. Her slick folds slid along his shaft in a delicious and teasing friction. Her nails racked his back, leaving red marks in their wake.

His tip was prodding her, wanting to be in her. Kate grunted and with two little words, ordered him, "Fuck me."

That's all he needed, with one single thrust, he was inside her. At the connection, they both gasped for air. Every time they had sex, it was even better than the previous time. Both felt complete.

"Oh God, Rick..." Kate moaned against his lips. "Harder."

And Rick not being one to disobey orders, complied. "Hold on tight."

Kate did just that, her grip drastically tightened around his broad shoulders. His rhythm steadily grew faster with each penetration into her core, his long cock hitting that sweet spot every time causing Kate to become speechless. The pleasure was too great for her to string together a complete sentence. All she could manage to say were things like, "Shit," and "Faster."

"Kate-" he was getting closer and closer to the edge. And wanting her to fall with him, he reached down between their thrusting hips and pressed his thumb against her nub.

Right when his thumb came into contact with the flesh, she lost it. Her inner muscles clamped down on Rick, making him let go. He spilled his seed into her, her body spasmed as wave after wave of pleasure hit her. Each other's names spilled from their lips.

Rick laid his head down on her shoulder as they tried to calm down from their highs. The spray of the shower sprinkled down on them, their bodies glowed and it wasn't from the water.

Kate's grip on Rick loosened a bit as he lifted his head. "God, I love you," he murmured ever so softly, his voice a bit scratchy.

She moved her head towards his, peppering butterfly kisses over his face, and licking the droplets of water that made their way onto his face from the water streaming upon them. She then left a chaste kiss on his lips.

When they pulled apart, Kate whispered back, "I love you, too. So very much." They kissed again, both floating on air. They were so madly in love with one another that nothing else mattered. They reluctantly pulled apart after the need for oxygen became too great. Rick gently set Kate down, her legs were a little wobbly but she managed to stand on her own.

She sauntered under the head of the shower, her hair becoming even more soaked. Picking up her cherry scented shampoo, Kate turned so her back was facing Rick. With her head cocked to the side, she simply asked with the bottle raised, "Do you mind?" He just groaned.

Taking the shampoo out of her hand, Rick squeezed the shampoo into his own hand, releasing the enticing aroma. Rubbing hands together he threaded his fingers through her mane of brown curls, massaging her scalp. Kate closed her eyes and hummed in pleasure. The intoxicating scent filled his nostrils with its extraordinary fumes.

When he had lathered her hair completely, he removed his hands and nudged her under the spray. The shampoo was washed away from her long locks and escaped down the drain. Their eyes met and all Kate said was, "Your turn."

They switched places, Rick went under the shower head, his hair becoming wet. Kate used the same bottle of shampoo that he had used on her. He knelt down a bit, with his back to her, so she could reach his hair with relative ease. She lifted her hands to his soft hair, running her fingers through it. Closing his eyes in contentment, a small sigh fell from his lips as she caressed him.

Kate took in a deep breath, her favorite aroma taking over her senses. She loved the smell of cherries but having Rick smell of cherries was even better.

When she was finished, Kate placed one single kiss to the square of his shoulders. Rick's body shuddered at the action, tingles shot through his body like a spark. He dipped underneath the water and rinsed his hair clean and free of shampoo, his eyes were closed so that the remains wouldn't get in his eyes.

When he opened them, the most breathtaking sight awaited him. Kate stood a mere foot away with a tiny but ferocious and wicked grin on her lips. Her body was dripping wet, little drops of water slid down her body, a few ran between her glorious breasts. Rick instantly grew hard at the view.

Without a word spoken between the two, they lunged and attacked each other's lips with powerful and desperate open-mouthed kisses. Their bodies slid together, fitting perfectly.

They definitely weren't going to be leaving the confines of the shower for quite some time...

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><p>It was mid-afternoon by the time the couple emerged from the shower. With fresh and clean clothes on and their dirty and stinky ones in the wash, they sprayed the RV down one more time. The stench was still present but wasn't as near as bad as earlier that day.<p>

They exited the large vehicle, fishing poles in their hands. Rick had a grayish-green tackle box in his other hand while Kate had a blue cooler in hers.

"You ready to go fishing?" He asked, excited. He had on his Tilley hat once again, he looked ridiculous and utterly cute at the same time. Kate couldn't keep her eyes off him.

"Let's go!" She answered just as excited.

Rick walked a few feet ahead of her, giving her a generous view of his backside; his denim shorts were hugging him in all the right places and it took every force of willpower that she had to not pounce on him and take him for her own right there, right now.

He felt eyes on him and upon turning around he found her staring at his ass. Rick grinned. "Enjoying the view?"

Kate looked up to meet his eyes, they had a certain sparkle in them. "Oh yes...it's by far the most spectacular sight I've ever seen," she hummed seductively as she winked at him.

"I beg to differ," he countered. He gazed at her, his blue eyes roamed over her entire body, sending goosebumps all over her skin. "I've got quite an extraordinary view from here," Rick winked back as he continued walking.

"Mhmm," she hummed. A few seconds passed before, "Just so you know, I'm not a great fisher. I might need some assistance." She, of course, was an incredible fisher but Rick didn't need to know that. Kate was going to show him up, he'd never see it coming.

Without turning around, he answered, "That's okay. I can teach you a few tricks and you'll be fishing like a pro in no time!" Not another word was spoken. Rick stayed a bit ahead of Kate, who followed him with a wicked grin. Her eyes trailed back to his ass, dirty thoughts invaded her mind with each swing of his hips.

They eventually reached the lake. It was time for some fishing, this was going to be interesting.

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><p>The two had spent the remainder of the afternoon at the lake. And it didn't go uneventful, Rick caught a very large and powerful wild brown trout but it didn't go out without a fight. The massive fish ended up dragging him through out the lake and Rick, not wanting to loose his prize, decided to hold onto his fishing pole and be whisked away by the strong fish.<p>

Unfortunately, the trout escaped and Rick was left floating in the middle of the lake empty-handed and completely drenched.

The whole situation was rather amusing for Kate because she had no difficulties whatsoever. She managed to catch a twenty-two inch trout, the sucker was massive. She celebrated with a, "Take that sucker! You're in my house now!" And Rick wasn't too pleased with the whole situation, he was supposed to be the pro here, not Kate. He was proud of her but he was a tad jealous, too.

Towards the end, he did happen to catch a trout but it wasn't anywhere near as big or as impressive as Kate's. It was actually pretty pathetic. The extremely tiny fish was maybe six inches at the most. They packed their things, Kate's giant trout was in the cooler that they'd brought, along with Rick's minuscule one.

"You're a very good teacher," Kate smiled and placed a quick kiss on his cheek in thanks.

Rick was upset, he was pouting like a five-year-old, he just grumbled, "Yeah, yeah."

Once they had all of their belongings, they headed back to the campsite. It was dinner time and they were having some delicious wild brown trout.

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><p>"Boy, am I stuffed!" Kate sighed as she patted her stomach. "That was one big trout, huh?" she smirked.<p>

"It was very impressive...but I've got a question though."

"Shoot."

"How did you pick up on it so fast? I mean when we first started you had no idea what you were doing, then, all of a sudden, you're fishing like you've been doing it for years."

Kate smiled before reaching for his hand that rested on the picnic table. They, unlike the night before, were sitting right next to each other. "I, uh, have to be honest with you." Rick nodded, grabbing onto her hand a little tighter. "When I was little, my dad would take me fishing whenever we went camping. As time went on, I progressively got better and better at it. I've been fishing since I was seven. I only acted like I didn't know how to fish to mess with you," at this she bit her lip and waited nervously.

Rick looked at her and a smile tugged on his lips, it grew. "You sneaky, sneaky woman," he growled in her ear, she could feel his hot breath on her skin. "You tricked me and I believe that you deserve to be severely punished."

"Then punish me," she commanded.

Next thing she knew his lips were on hers, kissing her slowly and gently. The moment she realized that he was kissing her, she kissed him back but faster and harder. It became heated very quickly, but before it went too far Rick pulled away. Kate instantly missed the contact, she sighed before opening her eyes.

"That was my severe punishment?" Rick just smiled. "Wow, if that's what happens when I trick you then I definitely can't wait to see what happens when I really do something really naughty," Kate winked and pursed her lips a bit. She then huskily cooed, "That'll be very interesting."

His set his face right next to hers, his mouth lining up with her left ear. And he simply whispered, "You have no idea." He pulled back, looking at her with a smug grin on his face.

Kate pretended to think for a moment before, "Now, where have I heard that before?" She questioned, grinning. Rick laughed and pulled her body to his, securely wrapping his arms around her petite waist. He nuzzled his nose in her hair, smelling the cherry shampoo. She closed her eyes, just enjoying his company.

It was getting darker with each passing second, and Rick noticed this. "You ready for the show?" He asked, resting his chin on her shoulder, an eager look was plastered on his face.

"Show?" she asked totally confused. "You aren't gonna sing, are you? Because you and I both know that you're not the best singer," she chuckled as they both reconnected their little singing session on their way up here.

He laughed, "No, I couldn't put you through that, I'm not _that_ mean. No, the firework show." Realization hit Kate's face as soon as he said that, it was the Fourth of July.

She turned and pressed her lips to his, whispering, "Happy Fourth." She kissed him softly.

With their lips hovering above one another, Rick whispered back, "Happy Fourth." When they were finished kissing, Rick quickly removed himself from her embrace and stood up. "Okay, I'll get the fireworks ready. Can you go grab some blankets? They're in the closet next to the washing machine."

"Sure," she stood. Before Rick left, Kate grabbed his hand and yanked him to her. Their lips crashing together in a quick kiss. When they separated, both had identical grins on their faces.

Rick turned and began to head over to the RV, where the fireworks were. Kate followed him so she could grab the blankets. As they went their separate ways, she smacked his ass with her hand, he yelled in surprise. He looked her way, she was attempting not to smile but it wasn't working. She winked as she disappeared into the RV.

He went back to his task at hand, with one last glance at the door he shook his head and chuckled, opening the compartment on the side of the vehicle and rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

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><p><strong>There ya go! :)<br>**

**Please let me know what you thought by leaving a review! Until next time!**

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	8. Chapter 8

**Hey there my dears!  
><strong>

**I'm really sorry it took me so long to do an update, you guys have been so supportive and patient. Thank you so much! How have you guys been? I've missed you all! **

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/  
><strong>

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><p><strong>[Chapter 8]<strong>

Kate emerged moments later from the RV with an armful of fleece blankets. While she was in there she'd put on a sweatshirt and had grabbed one for Rick. The warm weather was dropping, it got cold fast. The sun ducked behind the trees beneath the horizon, their only source of light was the flashlight that Rick currently held in his mouth as he set up the fireworks, preparing for the show. He was kneeling down on the cold, hard gravel about ten feet away from the RV tampering with an electrical container of some sort.

Deciding it was better not to ask, Kate decided to ignore it, she'd find out soon enough. "Here you go," she held out his sweatshirt in one of her hands, the other was carrying all of the blankets. "You must be freezing."

He graciously accepted the sweatshirt, handing her the flashlight while he put it on. "Ah, much better. Thank you," he winked, taking the flashlight back and placing it in his mouth, going back to work.

"Where would you like to sit?" Kate asked, a tiny grin tugged on her lips as she watched his hands set the fireworks up with relative ease. Rick turned to point over to the fire pit, at the log benches. She followed his finger and nodded, "Perfect."

She meandered over to the logs, spreading out one of the larger blankets and placing it on the ground. Rick soon joined her, a small remote sat in his hand and a giant grin covered his face. Her back was to him as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest. He rested his chin on her shoulder as he gently placed a few kisses down her neck.

"Ready for the show?" He asked, his lips still tasting her skin. The vibrations of his voice sent tremors through out her body.

"Mhmm," she hummed, her eyes slowly closing.

Rick placed one last kiss on her cheek before he sat down, his back against the log. He tugged on her hand and carefully pulled her down to join him. She immediately snuggled into his side, her slender arms encompassed his midsection as one of his arms snaked over her shoulders. Kate's head laid on his chest.

"Here we go," he whispered against her hair, he could feel the anticipation bubbling inside her.

With one simple flick of a button the sky lit up with light, he set both the flashlight and remote down beside him and watched the sky. Reds, blues, greens, and everything in-between danced in the darkness of the night, cascading the couple in a rainbow of colors.

Kate was breathless, it was the most spectacular display of fireworks she'd ever seen. And it was all thanks to the wonderful man next to her, had he not insisted that she come with him this weekend she'd probably be sitting in her apartment all alone with nothing else but a good book. As she watched the fireworks explode in the sky, she thought back to the past day and how everything had changed and she couldn't have been happier.

This was where she was supposed to be, this is where she was always supposed to be. And it only took one weekend away for her to realize it.

Tearing her gaze from the sky, she looked at Rick. He had a huge smile on his face as he continued to enjoy the fireworks. His deep blue eyes glowed with a multitude of colors, causing Kate to get lost in them.

Feeling eyes on him, Rick turned, only to find the most beautiful creature he's laid eyes on staring at him with a small smile tugging on her enticing lips. Leaning in, he captured her lips in his own. It was a sweet kiss that only lovers would recognize. He took her bottom lip between his, drawing a moan to spill from deep inside her. All too soon oxygen became a necessity and they broke apart, leaning their foreheads against one another's. A few minutes passed before the two opened their eyes. They locked gazes and both had matching smiles adorned.

She cuddled back into his side but not before placing a chaste kiss on his cheek. Rick brought her even closer to him, enjoying the warmth that her body radiated off. If he could stay like this every single day for the rest of his life, you wouldn't hear him complaining. Rick loved Kate with every fiber of his being and he knew that those feelings were reciprocated.

The duo watched the night sky in awe until the last firework shot off; soon, they were covered in black. Rick blindly reached around on the gravel for the flashlight, his fingers found the hilt and he grabbed it. Turning it on, he smiled at Kate as he stood up and put out his free hand, silently telling her to take it. She reached up and took his hand as he hoisted her to her feet.

"Well?" He pondered curiously. "What did you think? Pretty spectacular, right?"

She smiled as she lifted a hand and placed it on his cheek, rubbing her thumb in small circles. Tilting her head toward his, she whispered right above his lips one word that made him light up like a Christmas tree. "Extraordinary."

He kissed her softly before saying, "Glad you liked it. Now," Rick grinned mischievously, his voice low and sexy. "What do you say if we take this party inside and have a fireworks show of our own?"

Kate's eyes darkened with want, she rubbed her nose against Rick's all while whispering, "I'd have to say that that's an excellent idea," she grinned. She ran her hands up and down his chest as she said this, her voice suggestively low and taunting.

Rick immediately picked her up bridal style and ran toward the tent, both laughing as he did. The blankets by the log benches were completely forgotten, they did have plenty blankets in the tent after all. The two had decided earlier that they both prefer the tent to the RV, it was more comfortable. Rick ever so gently set Kate down in the plethora of pillows and blankets before he zipped the tent closed.

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><p><strong>And there you have it! <strong>

**Thanks for reading guys! :) I hope y'all liked it! Like I said before, sorry this was so short. I will try to have the next chapter up asap! I am not entirely sure how many more chapters I will have for this fic, so we may be coming to the end soon. ****Please don't forget to leave a review! They really mean a lot! Thanks again!**

**Follow me on Twitter at KB_RC23 and Follow me on Tumblr at KB-RC23  
><strong>


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello!**

**I apologize that it took so long for me to update this story. But I finally had time to sit down and write! :) Thank you all so much for being so patient with me. It means a lot! I really hope you enjoy this chapter! I think that we are coming to a close here pretty soon but not to worry because I will have more fics on the way! :)**

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/  
><strong>

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><p><strong>[Chapter 9]<strong>

Morning came all too quickly and the duo found themselves packing and getting all of their belongings together. Both were happy to be heading back home but they were also sad about leaving. And there was a hint of worry in them, too. Would things be the same back home as they were here?

It was around eleven-thirty in the morning when they'd finished packing. "Alright," Rick grunted as he lifted the dissembled tent into the RV. "That's the last of it. You ready to go home?" He asked Kate as he came up behind her, wrapping his arms securely around her waist.

"Yes and no." She leaned back into him, holding onto his arms. "I'm really gonna miss this place," she sighed, taking a long breath. "But, I can't wait to get back into the swing of things." Kate flipped herself around so that she was now facing Rick, his arms still wrapped tightly around her. Looking into his mesmerizing eyes, she smiled softly. "Thank you for inviting me, Rick. This was the best weekend, ever. And I owe it all to you." She ran a hand across his cheek, a finger gliding it's way across his bottom lip. "I love you."

Closing the distance between them, she kissed him. Rick smiled as he felt her soft lips caress his own, loving every second it. Pulling her flush against his chest, he picked her up, her legs encircled his waist as he held her ass in one hand and entangled her hair with his other. After a few moments of non-stop kissing, they broke apart with identical grins adoring their flushed faces. Rick gently set her down, Kate's sneakers crunched the rubble beneath her feet.

"I love you, too, Kate." He pecked her lips once more before he looked up, taking one last look at the campsite.

"Rick?" Kate asked after a minute of silence, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Things won't be different once we leave, right?" An uncertainty was etched in her voice as she toyed with a button on his shirt, not making direct eye contact. "I really don't want us to go back to the way we were before."

He stared at her for a long time before taking his hands and cupping her face in them. In a calm and loving tone, he replies, "Kate, things will be different." She bows her head. He lowers his hand, curving a finger, and placing it under her chin to raise it so she meets his eyes. "_But _for the better. I know that I definitely do not want us to go back to where we were before this trip. I want us to dive into this, together. I've wanted it for a long time and this weekend has shown me that I will never be able to go back. I _need_ you in my life, Kate."

She gazed at the man in front of her; the very man who has stood by her side and helped her through her pain and suffering. The love she feels for him grew exponentially with every word he said. "I need you, too, Rick. More than you will ever know."

This brought a smile to his face and a sparkle in his eyes. He kissed her with all the love he could muster and she kissed him back, mirroring his feelings.

With a small chuckle, Kate said, trying to catch her breath, "Okay, if we don't stop now, I don't think we'll ever get back home."

Reluctantly, Rick agreed but not before he tenderly placed his lips to her forehead for a quick kiss. Extending his arm, he opened the door to the RV, allowing the lovely detective in first. "After you." As she entered, Rick smirks and slaps her ass, causing her to rapidly whip around and smack him in the upper arm. "Ouch! Easy there..."

With a huff she took her seat and put her seat belt on, crossing her arms over her chest, not saying a word. Rick chuckled behind her as he closed the door behind him, taking his own seat.

Looking over, he could see Kate trying hard not to show the obvious smile growing on her face. He laughed to himself as he placed the key in the ignition and started the RV. As he pulled away from the campsite, Kate glanced out the window, smiling as she looked at it all for the last time. The hopes and fantasies of the future filling her thoughts as they sat in a comfortable silence, traveling back to the city, the trees moving swiftly in view beside them.

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><p>Kate had fallen asleep within the first ten minutes of the trip back and every so often, Rick would glance over at the sleeping woman. He couldn't believe how well this trip had turned out. When he first had suggested the idea of a camping trip to her he had no intention of their relationship progressing this far.<p>

He couldn't have been happier, not only because they were so good together but he loved her and now he was free to express his feelings as openly as he'd like. Rick chuckled at Kate when a small snort escaped her lips as she continued sleeping. He turned his attention back to the road, a huge smile adorned his face and it was all because of Kate Beckett.

Rick couldn't wait to tell his Mother and Alexis about the news of him and Kate. Those two have been rooting for the couple to get together for years now and it finally happened. He could just see his Mother bubbling with excitement and then all too soon, she'd be worried about wedding details. He knew Alexis would jump for joy at the news. She was very fond of the NYPD Detective and she looked up to her.

It was what Ryan and Esposito would eventually say once they found out. Kate was like their sister, she was family, and he knew that if he were to ever hurt her, then the boys would make sure his body was never ever found. _Ever_. He shuddered at the thought but deep down he knew that they would be happy for them.

He looked over at Kate once more and found her stirring in her sleep. She opened her eyes, trying to get them to adjust to light. Sitting up, she stretched her arms above her head which raised her shirt, exposing her flat and toned stomach. Kate smiled over at Rick as she caught his expression.

"Like what you see?" She asked, a hint of sleep still evident in her voice. Kate scratched her still exposed stomach, forcing Rick to stare in that direction.

"I don't like what I see," he replied. "I _love_ what I see." That made her blush.

"Well, you are going to have to wait til we get back to the city before you get the full show." She winked at him as she tugged her shirt down.

He just frowned as he continued to look at the road ahead of them. Deep down he was excited to get home, to take Kate to his bed and have his wicked way with her. His thoughts were immediately consumed with a naked Kate beneath him as he-

"Rick?" Her voice brought him from his reverie. "I'm hungry," to emphasize her point, she patted her stomach lightly.

"I'm hungry, too," he mumbled. "But not for food." Kate obviously heard him because his shoulder throbbed from the punch she gave him. "Okay, okay. Fine. Where would you like to go?" He asked, trying not to let his thoughts wander off again.

"I'm in the mood for Remy's but we're still a ways out of the city..."

"I'm sure there is a burger place around here somewhere," he said as he looked out the window at the billboards passing by. They were all of motels and gas stations, soon he saw one with a burger stop. "There we go!" He grinned as he took the next exit.

They pulled up in front of a small restaurant. Rick turned off the RV, pulling the keys out the ignition. The couple unbuckled their seat belts and got out of the seats. Once they stepped on the solid ground, they stretched both a bit sore from sitting down for an extended period of time. Rick extended him arm out and Kate slipped her arm through it, a tiny blush appearing on her cheeks.

The restaurant was pretty vacant, only a few people sat scattered around at different tables. Finding a booth in the corner, Rick sat on one side and Kate on the other. An elderly lady named Betty came over and got their drink orders, then she left and the two were alone.

"This is nice," Kate thought out loud as she reached across the table to take Rick's hands in her own.

"Yes, it is," he agreed, squeezing her petite hands in his larger ones. "Very nice."

Rick and Kate locked eyes, never drifting from one another's gaze. They wore identical smiles. The duo had gotten so wrapped up in one another that they hadn't noticed that Betty had come back until she started talking to them.

"Alright, we got a diet Dr. Pepper for the lady. And a double-chocolate chip smoothie for the gentleman," she stated, placing the drinks in front of their respective owners. Pulling out her notepad, "Now, what would you two like to eat?"

Kate looked over the menu. "Um, I'll have the Gourmet Burger, well done and with no onions please. And I'll have a side of the steak fries." She handed Betty her menu and folded her hands on the table, patiently waiting.

"And for you, honey?" Betty asked Rick.

"You know what, that sounds really good. I'll have the same please," he grinned, handing her his menu.

The older woman smiled. "I'll have those out in a jiffy!" And she left, heading toward the kitchen in the back. About fifteen minutes later, their food arrived. "There you go," Betty said as she set the plates down. "Is there anything else that I can get for you?"

Rick smiled, "No, I think we're set." And he began digging into the food like there was no tomorrow.

"Well, if you folks need anything, just holler." Betty then bent down towards Kate and whispered, "He's a keeper." She chuckled a bit as the two of them looked at the topic of their conversation.

Rick had a bit of unnoticed ketchup on his chin as he continued to devour his burger. They both laughed.

"But seriously, make sure to hold onto him, sweetheart. He's quite the catch." She pulled back, winking at Kate before she left.

Kate sat there with the biggest smile on her face as the elderly woman's words soaked in. She began eating her burger, every now and then stealing a glance at the man across from her.

"How's your burger?"

"It's actually very good. Not as good as Remy's though, but it's definitely a close second." She took the last bite before sighing of satisfaction. "How was your burger?" She asked, wiping her mouth with her napkin.

He patted his stomach. "It was good. But I agree, not as good as Remy's." He still had a little bit of ketchup on his chin, so Kate reached across and wiped it off with her thumb before bringing the digit to her mouth and licking it clean. "Thanks," he uttered a bit in shock as she smiled sweetly at him.

Just then Betty came over. "Would y'all like any dessert? We've got this really delicious apple pie. Or you can have an ice cream sundae, even comes with a cherry on top."

Kate and Rick thought about it for a minute before they answered simultaneously, "We'll have both." Betty chuckled at them when they both turned beet red, embarrassed at their usual tactics at being so in sync.

"You two are adorable, you know that?" She grinned as she cleared the table of the plates and silverware. "I'll have your apple pie and ice cream sundae with a cherry on top out in no time!" She was gone.

Sitting silence for a few minutes, they just gazed at one another before they burst out into laughter. They always managed to talk in sync, neither meaning to. It just sort of happened.

Betty returned with their desserts and the check some minutes later. "Here's your desserts and I also brought you the check. But take your time on that, there's no rush. And I went ahead and took off your desserts, they're on the house." She smiled as she placed her hands in the pockets on her pink apron. "I hope y'all enjoyed your stay and that you'll be back to visit us real soon!" And that was the last time Betty came back to their table.

The couple ate the pie and ice cream in silent, both. Rick pulled out his wallet and placed a ten and a twenty on the table.

"Oh here, I'll pay for mine. It's okay." She reached for her wallet but before she could get to it, Rick stopped her.

"No, Kate. This was my treat. Don't worry about it, alright?"

Kate was a bit apprehensive, "A-are you sure?"

He took her hand in his, raising it up to his lips and placing a kiss there. "I'm positive," he whispered, his breath hot on her skin. "So," he pulled back with a smirk. "You ready to go?" Kate just nodded. They slipped out the booth, Rick took Kate's hand in his own. "Bye, Betty! Thank you!" he called across the room.

They heard a muffled, "You're welcome! Come back soon!" from her way back in the kitchen.

About an hour later, they arrived to the city. Both exhausted from the long drive back. "Here we go," Rick sighed as he opened the door to the loft. "Home sweet home."

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><p><strong>Whoo! There you go! :)<br>**

**I really hope you guys enjoyed it! Thanks for reading and please leave me a review! They are much appreciated! Until next time!**

**Follow me on Twitter at KB_RC23 and Follow me on Tumblr at KB-RC23**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys! **

**I hope you guys enjoy this one! There are probably gonna be a few more chapters after this one, so we are coming to an end here shortly.**

**Disclaimer: _Castle_ is not mine :/**

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><p><strong>[Chapter 10]<strong>

Rick set their luggage down near the front closet door, they slipped out of their shoes, both relieved at the feeling. He grabbed Kate's hand in his own and lead them over to the couch. They plopped down, sighing in exhaustion as soon as their backs hit the cushions.

"I'm so incredibly tired. I-I think I'm gonna lay down for a little bit," she said with a yawn as she burrowed into Rick's side while his arm circled around her shoulders.

"Rest," he whispered into her hair as he placed a kiss on the crown of her head. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"Love you," she mumbled into his chest, her right hand fisted in his flannel shirt, bunching up the material. A few minutes later, Kate's breathing evened out signaling that she was asleep. Rick's eyes grew heavy with each passing second and he soon joined Kate into the land of slumber.

About two hours had passed before Rick woke up from his much deserved nap. He reached to his side, his hand hitting the material of the couch, Kate wasn't next to him. The smell of coffee filled the air as he sat up slowly, his body aching and cracking from laying for so long on the hard couch. He gradually stood up and trudged to the kitchen, running a hand through his crazy and wild hair.

Kate was working throughout the kitchen, making two cups of steaming coffee. She still hadn't noticed that Rick was awake and now watching, with great interest, as she maneuvered around without any trouble. Rick smiled as he leaned against the counter, his arms crossed in front of him. With a mischievous grin he silently tiptoed over to Kate, his socks sliding on the hardwood floors. He snuck up behind her just as she was reaching up to the cabinets to grab two mugs.

A tiny squeak popped out of Kate as she grabbed for her heart, her heart rate going through the roof. "You scared me!" She chided, lightly smacking him in the arm as she shook her head, beginning to calm down.

"Hello, to you, too," he chuckled, kissing her cheek gently as Kate went back to the task at hand. Soon, the drinks were poured into their respective glasses and Kate whirled around so she could face Rick.

She handed him his mug. "Here you go," she smiled before taking a careful sip of her own coffee. He took a sip. The warm liquid slid down his throat, heating up his entire body. "So, how'd you sleep?" Kate asked, walking over to the counter, Rick closely behind her.

"Alright, that couch is really hard on my back though," he replied with a small grunt while he took a seat at one of the stools, Kate sitting next to him.

"I'm sorry," she cooed, reaching a hand over and rubbing his back in small, comforting circles. He sighed in contentment as her fingers worked their magic on his lower back. "How's that?" She asked after a few minutes.

"Better. Much better," he smiled softly, taking her hand in his and raising it to his lips, kissing it. "Thank you."

Kate turned bright red, her cheeks flushed. "You're welcome." Pulling her hand away, she quickly went back to her coffee, trying to hide the blush creeping up on her cheeks. He was too sweet for his own good, never had Kate been so embarrassed or shy with a guy before. Then again, she had never been with a guy quite like Rick. "So," she cleared her throat, "You ready to go back to fighting crime and chasing bad guys, partner?"

"Yeah, I can't wait!" A beat later he added, "But, I'm gonna miss all of the alone time we've had this weekend." He frowned a little, "Now, I have to share you."

She felt a sad smile tugging on her lips, she ran a hand through his unruly hair. "I am, too. We'll still be with one another every day, it just won't be in a very intimate setting." Rick nodded in agreement, still upset. "But," she added, this caught Rick's attention and he shot straight up, eagerly waiting to hear what she was about to say next. Kate chuckled at his anxiousness, "At the end of the day, we will be able to be as intimate as you'd like." She tapped his nose gently with one of her fingers, "How does that sound?"

Rick just smiled, closing the distance between them, his lips finding hers in a ferocious kiss. She moaned when she felt his tongue raking across her lips, begging for entrance. Kate graciously obliged. Their tongues dueled, both lost in the kiss. Kate left her stool, only to sit in Rick's lap, bringing them even closer.

The kiss was heating up rather fast, hands began to roam and bodies grew hotter. His hand slipped under her shirt, feeling the soft and delicate skin there. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, her long fingers combing through the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Dad! I'm home!"

Rick and Kate paused abruptly as soon as they heard the voice, tearing their lips apart they both silently turned to the front entrance. Alexis was back from her trip with Ashley and his family.

The teenager set her bags down next to her father's and, she assumed, Kate's. Then she began searching for her father, looking over in his office and bedroom. "Dad, where are-" Alexis' eyes found the couple in the kitchen in a rather, _compromising_, position. "Am I interrupting something?" She asked with a smirk, crossing her arms over her chest. Busted.

Rick and Kate were rendered speechless. Both only ever coming up with "Uh..." and "W-we were...um...". Never had they thought of the possibility of Alexis or hell, even Martha walking in on them, they had just been so wrapped up in one another.

And as if on cue, Martha came strutting through the front door, a grin plastered on her face. "Alexis!" She practically ran over to her granddaughter, intending to give her a hug but quickly came to a stop as she found herself grinning ear to ear at Rick and Kate, who still hadn't moved an inch, they were completely and utterly frozen.

Kate buried her head in the crook of Rick's neck, not being able to make eye contact with either red-head at the moment.

"Well, well, well," Martha started. "What do we have here?"

"I, uh...w-we were just..." Rick couldn't find the right words, he was too embarrassed. To be found making out with Kate, on his lap, by Alexis and Martha was the most embarrassing moment either of them had ever experienced. _Ever._

"I'm sorry, Dad," Alexis smirked. "I didn't quite catch that." The older redhead snickered beside her, both having way too much fun with this.

Rick didn't say a word, he sat there with a blank look on his face. "I take it the camping trip went...rather well. Am I right, Kate?" Martha asked the detective, drawing the attention over to her.

Kate quietly groaned into Rick's chest before she reluctantly looked up, blushing from head to toe. "Y-yes, Martha. It went very well...thank you for asking."

"Great. Well," she clapped her hands together, "We'll let you two, uh, be alone for a little while," Martha winked at the still blushing couple before wrapping an arm over her granddaughter's shoulders, steering them away upstairs. "Come on, Alexis, I want to hear all about your trip with Ashley."

"But I wanna hear," Alexis pouted, pointing over to her father and Kate. Martha just lead her to her bedroom on the second floor, a thrilled smile adorned on her face.

The sound of a bedroom door being closed was a sound of joy to the duo. Neither of them were saying a word, both in shock of what just occurred only minutes before. They finally looked at each other for a few seconds before Kate sighed, realization quickly hit in. "I am never going to be able to look your mother or daughter in the eye ever again," she moaned as she placed her forehead onto Rick's chest. "I can't believe that happened."

Rick rubbed her back apologetically, placing his chin on top of her head, comforting her. "It'll be okay, Kate," he whispered, continuing to rub her back. "Hey, it could've been worse," he added.

At that, Rick could hear Kate utter an "Oh, dear God!"

He chuckled as his hands moved down to her sides, getting in attack position. Rick then began tickling her fiercely; it definitely made Kate forget about earlier as she tried to pry his hands away from her body, but with Rick and the counter on either side of her she didn't have very good chances of escaping.

Tears filled her eyes as he kept on tickling her, not pulling away. "R-Rick! _Please_!" She tried fighting but it was useless, he obviously had the upper hand. "I give up! I give up!" She cried, squirming in his lap.

As soon as he stopped, he held onto her standing up and heading for the couch. Kate was jerking in his arms trying to get free, but it was of no use, Rick was just too strong. He then, ungracefully, plopped her down on the couch and then ran for it. She landed roughly on the couch with a small thud, bouncing a bit before she shot up and began chasing him around the loft.

"Come back here! You're gonna pay for that!"

"Only if you can catch me!" He threw over his shoulder, running as fast as he could, Kate hot on his tail.

"You're not _that_ fast, old timer!" She taunted, gaining on him.

"I am _not_ old!" She was now directly behind him, and he began screaming like a little girl, scared to get caught as they played cat and mouse all over his loft.

His girlish screams were heard all the way upstairs by Martha and Alexis, both laughing as to what Rick possibly could've done to piss Kate Beckett off. The possibilities were endless...

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><p><strong>And there you have it!<strong>

**Sorry it was rather short but it seemed like a good place to stop. Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading and for sticking with me through this story! It's been incredible! Until next time!**

**Follow me on Twitter at KB_RC23 and Follow me on Tumblr at KB-RC23**


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi!  
><strong>

**I can't believe all of the praise this story has gotten! Thank you all so very much for all of your support! I love you guys! Y'all are the reason why I love to write. Just thank you all! You have made this story what it is today.**

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/  
><strong>

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><p><strong>[Chapter 11]<strong>

Kate was standing over a cowering and very nervous Rick, who was kneeling near the couch, totally surrounded. "Damn, you're fast, old timer," she grinned evilly with a huff. "But like I said before, you're going to pay for that." Picking up a pillow off the couch, she raised an eyebrow, "I hate to take such, drastic measures, but I really don't have a choice, do I?" Rick gulped.

And just like that she was straddling him, hitting him as hard as she could with the pillow. He yelped, trying to get her off. He glanced over to the couch and saw another pillow laying there. Raising his right arm to the couch, he tried to reach for it but the pillow was just out of reach. He began to tickle her frantically, causing Kate to jump up off of him and onto the floor next to him.

Rick leaped up from the ground and yanked the pillow off the couch, running over to the kitchen. It took Kate a moment to realize that he had fled. She slowly got up, pillow in hand, as she looked around the loft for the writer. Looking over to the kitchen, she saw the reflection off of the refrigerator. He was sitting down behind the counter, hugging the pillow tightly to his chest. Bingo.

She grinned, kneeling down and quietly making her way to the other side of the kitchen counter. Kate jumped up from her position on the opposite side of the counter, "Boo!" The smile she had on her face quickly disappeared, he wasn't there. Kate placed the pillow in front of her for protection. He could be anywhere...Rick just smiled as he watched her from his secret position.

"I will find you!" she called out, a hint of nervousness evident in her voice. "You can't hide forever!"

Kate was slowly walking over to his office, the pillow held firmly in front of her. At the slightest noise or movement, she'd whip around, ready to strike. Rick smiled as he grasped the door handle in his large, muscular hand. Right when she passed by the door, he made his presence known. "Peek-a-boo!" He yelped, pouncing on the detective.

He grabbed her around the waist, hoisting her up. Kate's legs were flailing in the air as she kicked and bucked, trying to break away from his tight hold. She kept flinging the pillow back against his arms, sides, and occasionally, head.

"Rick! Put me down right _now_!" She yelled, unconsciously rubbing her hips back and forth against his own. He gritted his teeth as he brought her through his office doors, kicking it closed behind him and heading to his bedroom. The pillow went flying in the air, falling onto the floor, long forgotten.

He pushed her down onto his large king-sized bed, his body immediately covering hers. He grinned down at her, "Payback time." And soon his lips were meshed with Kate's.

She couldn't help but fall into the kiss. Her hands slid up his broad chest, over his stubbly cheeks and finally in his soft hair; her long fingers becoming tangled. Rick took her bottom lip between his teeth, gently tugging on it. This caused Kate to let out a deep and feral moan, she pulled his body even more on top of hers, loving the feel of his weight pushing her into the soft mattress. His hands held onto her hips, yanking them up to his so that she could feel what she was doing to him.

Hands roamed and shirts were strewn all over the floor. Rick's bare skin hot against hers, heating the room with a thick fire that could only be produced by such passion. Breathing soon became labored and hands had taken a backseat as bodies came closer. Kate's black lace bra was undone and as soon as it was off, Rick took one breast into his mouth, savoring her taste and feel. Then he moved over to the other breast, giving it the same affection.

When he was done with her breasts, he slid off her pants and ran his hands over her soft skin. She reacted to his touch by spreading her legs wider, giving him access to take her matching panties off. He complied slowly, touching every part of her he could in this act.

First, he kissed one thigh and then the other, not going anywhere near that one placed she longed for him to touch.

"Please," she begged.

He didn't give in, he just continued to tease her. Finally, he placed a finger against her core. A tremor passed through her as a moan escaped her lips. Then he lowered himself down to her, spreading her legs wider, and finally bringing her to his mouth. He went back to teasing her, sucking one moment and then licking another. He was bringing her closer and closer to climax with each flick. He entered his tongue into her, moving in and out, waiting until finally she pulled his hair slightly as she screamed his name.

_"Rick!_ Oh, God!"

Spent, she laid across his bed, breathing hard and fast, the world swirling around her in a sea of colors and resounding pleasure. Rick moved up her body and put his lips to her ear and whispered, "Shhh...we've got to be quiet." She silently nodded as her hands moved down, sliding off his jeans and his boxers.

Kate raised her hips to his, giving friction to him as no one had ever managed. He placed himself at her opening, once again teasing her by rocking his hips slightly. She couldn't take it anymore, she needed him inside of her now!

Forcefully, she grabbed his face in-between her hands and through gritted teeth, commanded, "Fuck. Me."

With these words he penetrated her, a deep yet quiet moan mingling the two's voices into one. He began to thrust in and out, bringing himself to the hilt and pulling himself almost all the way out. Her silkiness enveloped him as his fullness eased her. Their thrusts began to meet each others, the air becoming hot around them as bodies crashed into each other and moans spilled into the night air.

A pounding grew between Kate's legs and into her core as it spilled throughout her body. She grasped Rick as she shuddered around him, his climax coming as fast as hers and riding just as hard. Their bodies stayed in the same position for what seemed like forever as they looked into each other's eyes.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear, turning her over and placing her on top of him.

Her hips rose, bending him deeply inside of her. She then lifted herself off of him only to bring herself back down. Soon, she was rising up and down rhythmically, her breasts bouncing as she roughly rode him. Rick's hand met her core as he rubbed her clit back and forth, making her nails dig deeper into his chest and leaving red marks in their wake. He began lifting himself to meet her, crashing their bodies together in mid-air.

Kate lost control, and she bit into her hand as a scream tore from her as she clawed Rick's chest with her other hand, the sensation bringing him to edge as she did.

When they came down from their sexual highs, she laid upon his chest, their heartbeats matching in a perfect rhythm. "I love you, too, Rick," she smiled, placing a tender kiss right above his heart. "I guess we're even now, huh?"

He reached up with his hand, moving a strand piece of hair out of her eyes. Their bodies were glowing in the aftermath. Blue eyes met free and they were forever lost in one another, not having another care in the world. Rick pulled the covers over them, trapping the heat growing between the two lovers as sleep was quickly upon them.

"Good night, Rick."

"Until tomorrow, Kate."

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><p><strong>There you have it, folks!<strong>

**Please leave a review and let me know what you think! And I will try to have the next chapter up soon!, thanks again for reading! **

**And a Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families! Love you guys!**

****Follow me on Twitter at KB_RC23 and Follow me on Tumblr at KB-RC23**  
><strong>


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello dear readers! :)  
><strong>

**I hope that you guys had a great Thanksgiving yesterday! I know I did! Anyways, I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! I struggled a bit with this one.**

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/**

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><p><strong>[Chapter 12]<strong>

It was a little after ten when Kate arrived to the twelfth, she strode into the precinct with an unusual bounce in her step. She was trying as hard as she could to not seem too happy; she and Rick had decided that morning that they'd go in separately as to not arouse suspicion and they would try to act as normal as possible, like nothing had happened on their trip.

But the entire thing was proving to be very difficult for Kate. She wanted to scream it out to the whole world that Richard Castle was hers and that she loved him more than anything! It was going to be a very long day for a certain detective and writer.

The elevator chimed, signaling she'd reached the Homicide floor. Once the steel doors opened, she walked purposefully over to her desk. Ryan and Esposito were sitting in their chairs playing catch with a small rubber band ball.

"Hey, Beckett!" Ryan called as he saw the detective. He threw the ball over to Esposito.

Esposito caught it effortlessly before asking, "How was your long weekend? You have fun with Castle?"

Kate took her light jacket off, placing it on her chair and sat down, turning her computer on. "Okay first of all, how did you know about that?" Esposito shrugged with a grin. _Lanie_. Kate sighed, she should've known. "Second of all, it was alright. Nothing out of the ordinary."

Totally ignoring what she just said, Ryan went straight to the point. "So no cuddling or loving in the tent?" Esposito chuckled to himself.

A hint of a blush appeared on her cheeks as the detective thought back to their time in their little "love tent", as Rick called it. "No, don't be ridiculous," she stated, surprisingly calm. "How was your weekend?" Kate asked, attempting to draw all of the attention off of herself.

As soon as the two men could've answered, the elevator chimed and in came Rick, all giddy and happy, two cups of coffee in his hands. "Good morning!" He said to the three detectives in a sing-song tune. "Here you are," he said, handing Kate her coffee, their fingers lingering longer than necessary. Both smiled at the small contact. "How are you boys doing? Good weekend?" He took a seat in his chair, turning to look over at Ryan and Esposito.

The two male detectives gave one another a knowing look. Something was going on.

Esposito went ahead and answered the question. "Lanie's parents drove me _insane_! They kept asking when we're gonna get married and blah, blah, blah. It was torture...but I guess you gotta do anything for love, right?"

Rick turned his gaze back over to Kate, his eyes glued to hers. "I know I would," he barely stated over a whisper.

The electricity between the duo was growing with each passing second. Kate's breathe got caught in her throat at his words. And she, as quietly as she could so that the other two wouldn't over hear, she whispered, "I would, too."

Rick gave her a small smile, trying not to jump her right then and there.

Ryan continued talking, thinking that they were listening the entire time. "And then they asked me why I'm so short and if I was going to get any taller. Can you believe that?" Kate and Rick glanced back at Ryan.

"Bro," his partner placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "They were seven-years-olds, let it go."

"But still! They're so...tiny. And just because they're Jenny's nephews doesn't give them the right to do that! It's mean," he mumbled with a dramatic sigh.

"Whatever, dude." Esposito just laughed at Ryan, picturing these sweet little kids asking his partner why he wasn't going to grow anymore. The image was very amusing.

Rick and Kate were watching the interaction between Ryan and Esposito with grins on their faces. The two were like family, making fun of one another all the time and teasing, and like real brothers they'd always have each other's backs. It was a warming sight for the writer and his muse.

Suddenly, Kate's phone rang. Back to work. "Beckett," she answered. "Okay, mhmm." She scribbled down an address on her notepad, ripping the sheet out. "We'll be right there," she hung up, getting out of her seat and placing her jacket back on.

"We got a body?" Rick asked, standing up.

"Yep, two-fifty-four Lafayette Street." She grabbed her coffee and keys as she headed to the elevator with Rick in toe. "Esposito, Ryan. We'll meet you two there!"

"Sounds good, boss!" She heard Ryan call out as they entered the elevator.

As soon as the doors closed shut, Rick instantly scooped up Kate in his arms and pulled her in for a hug. He gave her a quick peck on the lips before he set her down gently. "I've wanted to do that since you left this morning," he sighed.

"Me, too." She grinned when he put his arm over her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. "But we've got to act as normal as possible, like nothing happened, okay?" Rick nodded solemnly and pouted. "I'm sorry," she placed a hand on his cheek. "I don't like this anymore than you do. But I kind of want to keep this a secret between us for a little while." She bit her lip, a tiny blush appeared on her cheeks.

Rick's pout slowly grew into a smile, "I guess I can live with that."

Kate smiled when he kissed her with all the love and adoration he could muster and she returned the kiss with just as much.

He grinned into the kiss and as soon as their lips separated he said, "It's just going to be so hard to not keep my hands off of you while we're working...God, as soon as I walked in the bull pen and saw you, I wanted to take you right then and there. I wouldn't have cared who was watching!"

She closed the distance between them. In a low and sexy voice, she whispered right over his lips, her breath warm against his, "I wouldn't have stopped you_, Kitten_." As she said this, she softly rubbed her nose against his, spurring him on. Rick gulped, his pants were beginning to become a little too tight for his liking.

And then, just like that, Kate moved away from him and stood there as if nothing had happened. He was always amazed at how fast she could turn on and off between Detective Kate Beckett, the nose against the grain Homicide Detective, and Katherine Beckett, the sexy and commanding girlfriend. Rick was so turned on right now, he had to keep himself distracted.

Clearing his throat, he asked, "S-so where are we, um, g-going?"

Kate grinned to herself. He was too easy. "We're going to a candy shop. It's called CandyLand. Have you heard of it?"

And as fast as lightning, the little boy was back. "Have _I_ heard of it?" He asked mockingly. "I love that place! The candy there is unbelievable!" He was bouncing up and down on his toes like he was on a sugar high. "Can we pick up some lollipops and chocolate when we're done investigating?" Kate gave him an are-you-seriously-asking-me-this look. He had his lip in-between his teeth, pouting. "Please!"

"Fine," she relented. Rick did a little fist pump and cheer. "I swear, I'm dating a six-year-old."

"But you love me anyways," he wrapped his arms around her waist, his body flush against her back. Kissing her sweetly on the cheek.

"That I do." She grasped one of his arms and squeezed it with her fingers. "But you better let go of me or else I won't be able to let go of you and everyone will be finding out about us a hell of a lot sooner than we'd hoped."

"Oh, right..."

He let go of Kate but not before tickling her sides real quick. She smacked him hard in the arm just as the elevator doors were opening. Rick mischievously grinned as the two exited the elevator and walked to the garage parking lot. They got into the Crown Vic and headed to the crime scene.

Rick was overly excited to get bags and bags full of sweet, delicious candy. Not to mention seeing the dead body. Kate would never tell him this, but she absolutely loved when he acted like he was now. He was such a little kid at heart, and he brought her back to the good old days filled with sugar-plum fairies and magical unicorns. She just smiled to herself as she quietly listened to him rambling on about all of the candy he used to get there with Alexis when she was little.

The duo pulled up a little ways away from the crime scene. Kate looked over to Rick. "You ready?"

"Not yet," he replied and he leaned into her, his lips attaching to Kate's. He ran his tongue over her lips, begging her for entrance. She gladly obliged and their tongues were at battle.

Kate moaned when Rick took her bottom lip between his teeth. She raised a hand to his cheek, dragging her nails against the scruff he had. His hand moved to her thigh, squeezing it with his hand. Then the steamy kiss ended all too soon for Kate, she wanted to forget about the dead body inside and take him home and have her wicked way with him. She was so turned on.

Rick smirked, "Okay, _now_ I'm ready."

"You're a cruel man, Richard Castle," Kate sneered, unbuckling her seat belt and exiting the vehicle.

"Now, we're even, Katherine Beckett." And Rick got out of the Crown Vic, a proud grin adorned on his face.

They reached the perimeter of the crime scene which was obstructed by police tape, blocking it off from curious and eager on-lookers. She flashed the shield on her hip to the cop guarding the boundaries and they were ushered under the yellow tape and through the glass doors. Lanie was already analyzing the poor victim.

Lying face up in the middle of the candy shop was the corpse of a young woman, long locks of brunette hair enclosed her still face; her brown-green eyes shot right through the detective. The woman looked a lot like Kate's mom when she was younger. A chill ran straight through her bones and she quickly looked away from the woman's face. Moving down from to her clothes, it was obvious she was an employee at the shop. Crimson stains of blood covered the front of the material of her white polo shirt, seeping through her cobalt apron.

"Who do we have here?" Kate asked, timidness in her voice. Rick placed a comforting hand on the small of her back, but as quick as he put it there, he removed it remembering their plan: don't get caught. And as much as he wanted to hug the crap out of her, he knew he couldn't.

His little maneuver didn't go unnoticed by Lanie, but she didn't say anything. "This is Jessica Carter, twenty-four years old. She was a cashier here." She handed Kate Jessica's purse with her wallet inside.

Kate searched the wallet and found money, credit cards, and her ID. "This wasn't a robbery," she put the wallet back inside and gave Lanie the purse.

"An act of passion?" Rick threw out as he glanced all over the store. A giant lollipop catching his eye and he made his way over to it, mesmerized.

"Most likely," Lanie agreed. Indicating the wounds with a gloved hand, she added, "Four gunshot wounds to the chest. From how big the holes are, I'm gonna have to say that the killer shot in close range."

"Time of death?"

"Somewhere between three and eight this morning. I'll have to get her back to the lab to get you a tighter window." Kate nodded her head. Lanie stood up and pulled Kate by the arm, over to the side so that the others couldn't hear. "So...?" she asked, all giddy like Rick.

"So...what?" Kate returned.

"Don't play dumb with me, girl! How was your weekend with Writer Boy?"

"Uh, it was...fun," she said, trying not to say or show how much fun she actually had. Kate put her hands in her pockets, trying to distract herself.

Lanie grinned. "And by fun you mean getting your freak on with Castle?" Kate was becoming a tad uncomfortable, she glanced over at Rick for help bit he was too busy being distracted by all of the colorful candies. "Come _on_, Kate! Did you finally tell him?"

The detective remained still for a few seconds, she had told Rick that she was in love with him and he had said it right back. She'd never been this happy in her whole life and as much as she wanted to tell Lanie all the little details of the trip, she couldn't. But before Kate could say anything, she was saved by Ryan and Esposito walking in.

"Hey," Esposito greeted. "We just ran into the owner of the shop outside. He wouldn't speak with us. Do you think, maybe, you could-?"

Kate grinned to herself as she nodded and glanced back at Lanie. Her friend was giving her this murderous look, silently saying, "We'll talk later."

"Castle, you coming?" Kate hollered as she made her way outside the shop. He pouted a little as he set a massive blue and pink lollipop down on the counter and trudged over to Kate, following her outside.

Inside the shop, Lanie, Ryan, and Esposito watched in curiosity at their two friends. All three thinking that they were definitely hiding something. They'd noticed that there was something about the way Rick and Kate interacted and looked at each other that was different from before they went on their little camping trip. And Lanie definitely didn't miss Rick comforting Kate when they first arrived and saw the body.

All three of them tried to put the pieces together but they just couldn't figure out exactly what it was...they would get to the bottom of it though, if it was the last thing they'd do. They were detectives after all.

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><p><strong>And there you have it, folks! :) <strong>

**Thanks for reading! Now, please press that little review button down there and let me know what you think! Your reviews and comments are always appreciated!** **I will try to update as soon as I possibly can! I love you guys!**

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	13. Chapter 13

**Hi there folks!**

**Two updates in one day? Man, I am on fire! This chapter is kinda short, so I apologize for that but hey, with two chapters in one day I think it evens out! Anyways, I hope you guys like it! I had fun with this one!**

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/  
><strong>

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><p><strong>[Chapter 13]<strong>

It had been one week since they'd first stepped into CandyLand, the three detectives and one writer had pieced together the puzzle. Rick was right, it had been an act of passion; the ex-boyfriend, Anthony. He'd been watching Jessica every day for over a month, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike. Anthony pleaded guilty as soon as Kate and her team brought him in for questioning.

And now that this puzzle was solved, Lanie, Ryan, and Esposito had another one to figure out: what was going on between the writer and his muse?

"I don't know guys, they've been acting different lately," Lanie stated, taking a long sip of her drink. The three of them were at the Old Haunt, it was a little after nine on a Monday night. Montgomery had given them the rest of the night off since they'd done such a good job on the Jessica Carter case, and Lanie had finished up at the morgue earlier than usual. Rick and Kate were no where to be found, they were off doing God knows what while the three of them were attempting to figure out what the hell happened on that damn camping trip!

"What do you mean?" Ryan asked, not completely following as he thought back to the past week.

"Well, before you two showed up at the crime scene last Monday, Castle was kind of invading her personal space."

"It's Castle," Ryan snorted. "He's always done that."

"No, this time it was different, it was a little_ too_ much. You see, Jessica Carter looked so much like Beckett's mother that it kind of spooked her. And Castle comforted her by putting his hand on the small of her back." The boys nodded, waiting for Lanie to continue. "Then he immediately tore his hand away with this deer-in-head-lights look, like he wasn't supposed to get caught doing that"

The two men sat there soaking in her words. "So, what does that mean?" Esposito asked after some time. "That something happened between the two of them? Or that he was just being kind?"

"Something _major_ happened," Lanie smiled, nodding. "I just wish I knew what," she sighed. "Do you two have any ideas?" The boys looked at each other, then shrugged.

A few minutes passed before, "Wait a minute," Ryan whispered, a light bulb going off in his head.

"What?" Esposito and Lanie chorused, both looking at Ryan intently.

He had a huge smile on his face. "I've got it! The video surveillance!" And he jumped out of the bar stool, running for the door.

"Yo, Ryan! Wait up!" Esposito called out, grabbing Lanie by the hand and ushering her outside. Once they got out there they saw Ryan waiting for them, he was a little jumpy. "What's going on? What video surveillance?"

All he said was, "We need to get to the precinct now!"

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Ryan booked it for his desk, Lanie and Esposito trying to keep up. He picked up his phone and dialed the number for the security room which was downstairs in the basement. "Hey, John. It's Detective Ryan." He greeted the older gentleman. "You wouldn't happen to have security video footage from last Monday, would you? Specifically from the service elevator?"

"Oh, hi there, Kevin! How's the fiancé treating you?" John smiled into the receiver. John was an ex-cop, he'd worked in the field for over twenty years and was a part of security for ten. He was one of the nicest guys you could ever meet.

"Jenny's fine," he growled, growing impatient. "Could you please send me that video footage now?" Lanie and Esposito were watching Ryan with amused faces, they'd never seen him so antsy before.

"Oh, yeah sure," and John went to work. He pulled up the videos from the elevator from that Monday and sent them to Ryan. "There you go! You should be getting it any second now." And sure enough, a few seconds later the footage popped up on Ryan's computer.

"Great! Thanks, John!" Ryan thanked, hanging up the phone. He then began to fast forward through the footage looking for Castle and Beckett stepping on. "Okay," he started. "You remember when Beckett first got back and we were asking her about her weekend?" Esposito nodded yes, as he pulled up two chairs, one for himself and one for Lanie. "Then Castle came in all giddy? Well, I noticed them looking at one another all dreamy-eyed, like they were the only two in the room. It made me sick." Lanie thumped Ryan across the head for that. "What? I don't wanna see Mom and Dad all googlie-eyed. That's just gross. Anyways, when they got onto the elevator, they were standing extremely close to each other. Closer than usual. And that got me thinking at the bar, what really went on the elevator? And what happened on that trip of theirs?"

Esposito tapped Ryan in the back and pointed to the computer screen, "Only one way to find out..."

Ryan nodded and clicked play as they began to watch the feed. On the screen, it showed Rick and Kate stepping onto the elevator, nothing too out of the ordinary. But as soon as the doors closed, _bam_! Kate was in Rick's arms and he was kissing her lightly on the lips.

"Oh my God!" Lanie exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth.

The video continued. All three could hear Rick say, _"I've wanted to do that since you left this morning."_

They were in shock, but remained silent as they heard Kate reply, _"Me, too. But we've got to act as normal as possible, like nothing happened, okay?"_ They saw Rick nod his head solemnly as he pouted. _"I'm sorry,"_ Kate continued, placing a hand on his cheek. _"I don't like this anymore than you do. But I kind of want to keep this a secret between us for a little while."_

The three watched, staying as quiet as possible not wanting to miss a thing.

_"I guess I can live with that," _Rick grinned. Then they were kissing again, this time lasting longer than the first. And as soon as their lips separated he said, _"It's just going to be so hard to not keep my hands off of you while we're working...God, as soon as I walked in the bull pen and saw you, I wanted to take you right then and there. I wouldn't have cared who was watching!"_

All three took in a breath, not believing what they were seeing or hearing.

Kate closed the distance between the two of them and in a low and sexy voice, she whispered as she rubbed her nose against Rick's, _"I wouldn't have stopped you, Kitten."_

"Kitten?" The trio mouthed, totally confused. Ryan and Esposito were a bit disgusted at the sight of their boss being...sexy and flirty.

_"So where are we, um, g-going?" _Rick asked, his voice shaky.

Kate grinned evilly before she answered his question, _"We're going to a candy shop. It's called CandyLand. Have you heard of it?"_

And Rick was back to his normal self like that. "_Have_ I _heard of it? __I love that place! The candy there is unbelievable! Can we pick up some lollipops and chocolate when we're done investigating? Please!"_

Lanie chuckled lightly at him practically begging on his hands and knees.

_"Fine," _Kate had gave in and Rick did a little cheer. _"I swear, I'm dating a six-year-old."_

_"But you love me anyways," _he threw back as he wrapped his arms around her waist and then kissed her on the cheek.

_"That I do, but you better let go of me or else I won't be able to let go of you and everyone will be finding out about us a hell of a lot sooner than we'd hoped." _

_"Oh, right."_

Ryan paused the video just as Kate was about to smack Rick in the arm. All three of them sat there with their mouths wide open, completely and utterly shell-shocked.

"I knew it!"

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><p><strong>There you have it, guys! :)<strong>

**I hope you enjoyed it! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!**

**Follow me on Twitter at KB_RC23 and Follow me on Tumblr at KB-RC23  
><strong>


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello my dear readers! :)**

**I hope y'all like this chapter! :) Reviews are love.**

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/  
><strong>

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><p><strong>[Chapter 14]<strong>

Ryan was pleased that he'd figured it out, he leaned back in his chair and placed his hands behind his head. A proud grin on his face. Lanie sat there ecstatic that her friends _finally_ got together after all these years of unresolved sexual tension and a little upset because Kate didn't inform her of this news.

"Why didn't she tell me?" She asked, to no one in particular.

Esposito scooted closer to Lanie as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Chica, Beckett did say that they wanted to keep it between the two of them for a little while." She nodded, gloomily. "It's like when you and I first started going out, we didn't tell anyone right away. We wanted to keep it to ourselves. Beckett just wants the same for her and Castle."

"Actually," Ryan piped in. "We all knew about the two of you the first week you guys started dating. We just didn't say anything because we wanted to respect your wishes."

Lanie was a tad furious. "You kidding me?"

"It was rather obvious," Ryan said, defending himself with a raise of his hands.

Esposito rubbed Lanie's shoulders, soothing her. "So what are we going to do with Castle and Beckett now that we know?" He looked to his partner and girlfriend several times for the answer.

Lanie's small pout grew into a twisted and mischievous grin, an idea forming in her head. "Well," she dragged, grabbing the attention of the two men. "We could have a bit of fun with this new found information."

"How so?" Esposito questioned. Lanie just raised her eyebrows and her grin was even bigger. She was daring them to figure it out. They did eventually. "Oh, that's interesting," Esposito smiled, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"That's very interesting," Ryan concurred.

"Okay, so this is what we're gonna do..." Ryan and Esposito wore matching expressions as Lanie unfolded her master plan to them.

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><p>Over the next few days, Lanie and the boys were paying rather close attention to the lovebirds, watching their every move with great interest. Rick and Kate struggled every now and then to not get caught staring loving at one another or being too close in proximity with the other. The whole thing was difficult but they wanted their new relationship to stay between themselves for a little while longer. Well, themselves and Martha and Alexis. They didn't really have a choice with those two.<p>

"Hey, Ryan!" Kate called as soon as she stepped off the elevator with Rick right in step beside her. "You get the financials on Mark Davis?"

It was a Thursday afternoon and they'd just gotten a body that morning. Mark Davis was an elementary school teacher, and had been found stabbed in the heart outside of a strip club by one of the attendees. Rick and Kate had spent the remainder of their morning speaking with people that were at the club the previous night, trying to find out if anyone had heard or seen anything suspicious. While Ryan and Esposito ran through Mark's family, health and financial records all morning long.

"Yeah, I got 'em." He shuffled through several manila folders on his desk before he found the correct one. He made his way over to her desk just as she was sitting down. "It says here that Mark was making some pretty hefty withdrawals from his bank account from New Amsterdam Bank & Trust on Lex and was transferring the money to another account. The last withdrawal was on July thirteenth, the day before he was murdered." He handed Kate the folder and she went through the papers as Rick looked over her shoulder, sitting rather close.

"One-hundred thousand dollars?" Kate asked, astonished, looking up at Ryan.

Rick commented, "That's quite a bit of cash for an elementary school teacher."

Kate chuckled, "No kidding. Where did he transfer the money to?" She gave Ryan the folder back.

"I think I can shed some light on that," Esposito answered, walking up to the group. He held up a red folder, "Tom Peters, Mark's brother-in-law. It was his account, he owns the strip club that Mark was at last night. And he's got quite the rap sheet." He opened the red folder and began listing all of the offenses. "Did a nickel upstate for disorderly conduct and got out in '02, a misdemeanor for battery and assault in '03, and was arrested in '09 for sexual assault but never convicted." Ryan, Kate, and Rick all listened intently as Esposito continued. "He has a history of violence, his specialty: a military knife. The same make and model used to kill Mark Davis."

"Okay, Espo, you and Ryan go to the club, see if there's any other information you guys can find out. Rick and-" she cleared her throat, attempting to cover her little slip up. Esposito and Ryan smirked at her mistake but didn't say anything. "_Castle_ and I will go pick up Tom and bring him in."

"On it, boss," Esposito nodded and turned to his partner, "Field trip." The two went to their desks, grabbed their jackets and keys and started for the elevator.

Just as the steel doors were closing, Ryan yelled across the bull pen, "See you later, _Kitten_!" And the doors shut closed with Ryan and Esposito cackling behind them.

Kate had taken a big gulp of coffee right when those words left Ryan's lips. She spit all of it out of her mouth and onto the hardwood floor. Rick just sat there, his eyes as big as a house and his mouth hanging wide open. Kate wiped the drips of coffee that were spilling off her chin and tore her gaze over to Rick. He looked over to her, his eyes still huge. Both were thinking the same exact thing, how the hell did they find out?_  
><em>

After some time, Kate spoke up. "What did you tell them?" She questioned, furious.

Rick was surprised she'd think he would've said something about them, especially since they had decided that they'd be keeping it between themselves. "_Nothing_! Why would I do that? I'm on your team!"

She was about to say something but held her tongue. Kate took a deep, soothing breath as she thought about it for a moment, realizing that Rick never would have told the boys. He wanted to keep them a secret as much as she did.

"I'm sorry," she apologized after a minute or so, placing her hand on top of Rick's, he laced their fingers together. "I just can't believe those two, how'd they figure it out? I thought we were doing a pretty good job of hiding it when we're working."

Rick nodded in agreement, as they brewed over what they had done the past few days. "Well," he started, Kate turned toward him. "When we solved the Jessica Carter case on Monday, you know how you and I kind of ran out of here as soon as Montgomery gave us the ok?" Kate nodded, her mind reeling back to Monday. "We weren't very, uh, discreet about it. They could have seen us dash away to the elevator or something."

Kate sat up straight in her chair. "That's it! _The elevator_!" He gave her a confused look. "There are security cameras in the elevators! That's how they know I call you Kitten! They must've watched the video feed!"

"You're right!" He slammed his other fist down on the table. "But wait, how'd they get the footage?"

"John!" Kate immediately picked up her phone and dialed the number to security, it took a couple rings to get through. "Hey John, it's Kate Beckett up in Homicide," she greeted, impatiently.

"Hey, Kate! How have you been? Haven't talked with you in ages," the older gentleman greeted.

She was too agitated to answer, instead she went straight to the point. "Listen, John. I need a favor. Can you send me the video footage from the service elevator? It's urgent!"

"No problem, kiddo! From Monday the fifth, right?" He asked curiously as he typed away at the computer.

"I- uh, yes actually," Kate replied, nervous. "How did you know?"

"I was asked for that footage the other night by someone up in Homicide, so I just assumed you were looking for the same thing."

Kate took in a breath, "Who?"

"Kevin Ryan. He asked for the surveillance footage from the service elevator too but he didn't exactly say why he wanted it." Kate didn't say a word, she couldn't. She sat there, petrified, with the phone glued to her face. "Miss Beckett?" John asked after quite some time, becoming worried. "You still there?"

"Huh? Oh, y-yeah I'm still here," she said with no emotion. Rick stared at Kate, wondering what was going on, she had a funny look on her face. "You know what, never mind about the video, John. Thanks anyways," and she hung up without another word.

"What did he say?" Kate glanced at Rick, the same expression remained on her face.

"Ryan," she mumbled. "Somehow he found out about the footage from the elevator and h-he saw us." Rick gulped. "It just doesn't make any sense. How'd they find out?"

"I don't know," he answered, truthfully. "But, what I do know is that we've got to be extremely cautious. Somehow those two found out about that video footage and it's a safe bet that they spilled the beans to Lanie."

"What are we going to do? I mean we can't just act like nothing has happened now that they know about us," she ran a hand through her hair.

"Maybe we can, at least for now. We'll just act like nothing _has _actually happened and we'll make them think that we don't know that they know. But it will be even harder now that we know about that damn surveillance video!"

"It's worth a shot. We really don't have any other choice, do we?"

Rick shook his head, "Sorry, but we really don't. _Unless_," he raised his eyebrows. "We flee the country, change our names, become farmers off in a distant land where no one will ever find us and we can live happily ever after, growing exotic grapes."

Kate's mood just spiked the charts, he was overly grown man-child. "As intriguing as that idea sounds, I think we're safer with option A."

"Fine," he pouted dramatically as he crossed his arms over his broad chest, causing Kate to laugh even more.

"Oh, don't be such a drama queen. Now, come on, let's go," she stood from her desk. "We have a meeting with Mr. Tom Peters and I'd rather not be late for it."

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><p>"Another dead end," Kate sighed as the duo walked down the stairs, on their way toward the morgue to see Lanie.<p>

Rick placed his hands in his pockets. "He wasn't very helpful, was he?"

"Nope, not at all."

"I had a really strong feeling that it was him though," he stated, upset. "I really wanted to see Tom locked up. He was mean..."

"He had an alibi, a solid one at that. But yes, I wish we could've put him away," she stated as they were coming up to the large doors of the lab. "I wonder if Lanie has found anything helpful that will give us an actual lead." Rick halted at her words. She was a bit ahead of him before she realized he had stopped, so she turned around to face him. "What?"

He stood there, scared. "_Lanie_...she knows about us," he pointed between himself and Kate. She slowly walked up to him. "What are we going to do?"

"Rick," she soothed, rubbing her hands up and down his arms. "It'll be okay, we'll do exactly what we've been doing the past week or so; acting like nothing has changed between us. We just have to remember not to let anything slip," he nodded. "And besides, we don't know for sure if she does know but we should still be prepared. Now, you ready?"

Rick took one breath before he nodded, "Ready." And they took the few steps needed to reach the double doors and walked in side.

"Hey Lanie!" Kate said as she walked up to the medical examiner. "You got anything?"

"Yeah, I do actually." She lead the two over to the table where the body of Mark Davis lied on, his body only covered by a large white sheet. "I ran tox screen on his blood and came back with something interesting."

"What'd you find?" Rick asked, looking at the corpse.

"I found traces of Ketamine running through his system."

"The Club Drug?"

"The one and the same," Lanie nodded as she handed Kate the file with all of the information in it.

"But his records show he wasn't into drugs, he didn't deal or sell them," Kate commented. "So why would he have traces of it in his blood?"

Lanie shrugged her shoulders. "My guess is maybe he ingested it unknowingly, most likely in a drink."

"It's possible," Rick added. "You see Ketamine, like most Club Drugs, is colorless and tasteless so it can be added to drinks undetected. And these drugs are known to cause hallucinations."

"So," Kate began, she turned her attention to Rick. "Mark goes to the club, he has a few drinks..."

"Our killer slips the Ketamine into Mark's drink without him knowing, which causes Mark to begin to hallucinate..." Rick continued.

"Which makes him start seeing things, so he goes outside to get some fresh air..."

"Giving our killer the perfect opportunity to strike. He follows him into the alley..."

"And he stabs him in the heart," Kate smiled. "But wait, what about the hundred-thousand dollars he withdrawled and put into Tom's account? What was that about?"

Rick thought for a minute before answering. "Maybe he just owed him the money?"

"We gotta talk to Ryan and Esposito, see what they've found." Kate made her way out of the morgue, but not before saying, "Thanks, Lanie!" And then she was gone, leaving Rick alone with the medical examiner. He watched Kate as she walked out the doors and turned his gaze back to Lanie, who was smirking at him with her brow raised in question.

"What?" He wondered.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," she replied with a wave of her hand. "It's just you two seem so much more in sync then you guys did before you went on your little camping trip. That's all..._"_ Less than a beat later, Lanie added, "_Kitten_."

Rick stood there, his eyes huge. His mouth was opening and closing but no words seemed to be coming out.

Kate walked back in, staying by the doors. "Castle? You coming?" He stared at Lanie in disbelief, then he slowly turned back toward Kate and simply nodded, not being able to say a word. He quickly made his way over to his girlfriend and grabbed her arm, yanking her outside. Lanie remained in the lab, her arms crossed over her chest and an air of victory buzzing all around her.

"Whoa! Rick, what's going on?" Kate asked as she released her arm from his vice like grip.

Rick just mumbled, "She called me Kitten..."

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><p><strong>And there you have it!<strong>

**Please let me know what you think by leaving a review! All you have to do is press that little blue button down there, it's easy! haha. Anyways, thanks for reading! You guys are the best! Love ya!**

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><strong>


	15. Chapter 15

**Hello! **

**I hope you guys enjoy this chapter! I had fun writing this one. Hell, I have fun writing this story! I'll try and update the next chapter as soon as I can! But it probably won't be until the week of Christmas, so I'm very sorry if it takes me a while to update. I just don't have the time right now.  
><strong>

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/**

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><p><strong>[Chapter 15]<strong>

All through out the remainder of the Mark Davis case, Rick was taunted and teased by Lanie and the boys. They would call him Kitten whenever they felt it was appropriate and Kate blushed every single time they did, trying to hide it. Ever since that day the couple have refrained from calling one another any nicknames or pet names. Especially Kitten! And especially not around three certain individuals. It was just too embarrassing...

A late Saturday evening found Rick and Kate at the loft, relaxing from a tough week and a half at work. But they were mostly hiding from Lanie, Ryan, Esposito, and their childish hi-jinks. Luckily, they had the entire loft to themselves for the weekend. Martha was out with some friends and probably wouldn't get back til sometime Monday. And Alexis was spending the night at her friend Natalie's house.

The duo was laying on the large couch, wine glasses in their hands. Kate was snuggled into Rick's side, her legs and feet dangling off of his legs. He had an arm encircled over her shoulders, his fingers tracing random patterns on her skin. A bottle of Rick's finest wine sat on the table next to the couch, in easy reach. The fire that Rick had started earlier was dancing in the fireplace, the light bouncing off the walls.

"Mmm, this is nice," she whispered, cuddling into his body more.

Rick took a sip of his wine before commenting, "It sure is." He kissed the crown of her head, placing his head on top of hers. "Man, I don't think they're ever going to stop, with all of their teasing and calling me Kitten." He sighed and Kate looked up at him. "I'm never gonna live it down, am I?"

Kate softly smiled at him, "Afraid not."

"I was worried about that," he chuckled.

She sipped her wine and stared at the blazing fire. "You know they're only doing that to give us a hard time about not getting together sooner, right?" Rick nodded with a grin. "It's their messed-up way of saying congratulations."

"I know."

He looked down at her, smiling at the beautiful sight in front of him. Rick swore she got more gorgeous every day. Her hair was left in soft curls that framed her face. The fire light glistened in her eyes, making them sparkle and shine. Rick's gaze moved down to her lips, which were just begging to be kissed. Kate could feel him looking at her so she turned her head and smiled at him.

"Come here," he mumbled, setting his glass on the table and taking her face in both of his hands.

He gently pulled her closer to him so that their lips met. Kate returned his kiss as soon as their lips connected. It started out slow, their lips barely touching. With her free hand she reached up and caressed his face and then Kate wanted more, she _needed_ more. She moved up Rick's body so that she was now straddling him, and placed her wine glass next to his on the table, freeing both of her hands. Rick wrapped his arms around her waist bringing her flush against his chest. She moaned into his mouth, causing him to moan right back. Kate grabbed the collar of his shirt, tugging him even closer to her body.

All too soon, oxygen was becoming a necessity so they broke apart. Her face was hovering over his, their hot breaths mixed.

Kate blew out a puff of air, needing to get oxygen back in her lungs. "Wh-what was that for?" She asked with a grin. "Not that I'm complaining," she quickly added.

Rick laughed at that, his tone soon becoming serious. "I love you, Kate. It's as simple as that."

Her heart melted at his words and she leaned back in to kiss him briefly on the lips. "Oh, I love you, too, Rick."

"Say it again," he commanded with a huge smile.

She pulled back a bit more so that she could see him clearly. "I love you."

"Again."

"I. Love. You," she punctuated each word with a tap to his nose with a finger. "So very, very much."

"God, I'll never get tired of hearing you say that!"

"Good," Kate nodded with a grin. "Because you'll be hearing it quite a lot."

Rick pulled her into a hug, his arms wrapped protectively around her. "How'd I get so lucky?"

Smiling into his shoulder, she sighed, "I was wondering the same exact thing."

After a few minutes of silence Rick burst out, "I have an idea."

"Hmm?"

He grinned as he carefully lifted Kate out of his arms and set her on the couch, standing up. "I'll be right back." And he ran off toward the stairs, sliding a bit on the hardwood floors with his socks. Skipping every other step, he reached the top and disappeared into the upstairs hallway.

Kate remained seated on the couch downstairs. She tucked her feet under her legs, pulling her thighs closer to her chest. What on earth was he doing? She wondered when she heard clamoring and banging coming from the upstairs closet.

"Rick?" She called, getting up and slowly making her way to the staircase. "Is everything alright?"

"Yep, everything's fine!" He yelled back. "Be down in a minute!"

Kate stared up past the stairs into the hallway for a few seconds, then shrugged and she trudged back to the couch. About a minute later, Rick was walking back down, his arms full of blankets and pillows. He could barely see over them he'd brought so many. He eventually reached Kate on the couch, stopping right in front of her, and he unceremoniously dropped all the items in his hands onto the floor.

Looking at Rick, then down to the massive pile of blankets and pillows, and then back up to Rick, she asked, "What's all this?"

"I thought that we could build a fort," he grinned. "And once we're done building, we can snuggle while we watch a movie. Of your choice of course."

"I haven't built a fort since I was little," she thought aloud quietly to herself. "But why are you doing all this?" Kate asked, confused.

Rick reached for her hands and pulled her up. "Because," he began, rubbing his hands up and down her shoulders and arms. "We haven't gone on an _official_ date yet and I thought that this would be fun for our first date."

She lifted a hand to his cheek, caressing it with her thumb. "You're too sweet for your own good, you know that, right?"

Capturing her lips in his for a quick tender kiss, he chuckled. "So I've been told. Okay," he rubbed his hands together in anticipation, "let's get this sucker built!"

And just as Rick was about to dive for the blankets, Kate stopped him. _"Wait!"_ She sauntered over to the stereo set next to the TV and began pilfering through all of the CD's Rick had. "We gotta have some _mood_ music first."

After a little while she found the CD she was looking for, she placed it inside the disc player and hit the play button. No more than three seconds later did the sound of "Stuck on You" start playing.

"Elvis Presley?" Rick asked, smiling. "Good choice."

Kate got back over to where he was and they started building their fort. "Yeah, well it brings me back to our camping trip," she replied simply. "Plus, his voice is just...mmm. I love it!"

They sung along to over a dozen Elvis Presley songs as they put together their fort. Rick sometimes sang way off-key to irritate Kate but it just made her laugh. She even joined in occasionally. The not so sweet sounds of them belting out the choruses and uncontrollable laughter filled the entire loft.

After about a half hour, their masterpiece was complete. Rick and Kate stood in front of the fort, admiring it. "Not too bad," he commented.

Kate nodded her head in agreement, "Not bad at all."

Several large blankets made the top of the fort, like a tent, and some large pillows and cushions held the roof up. Smaller pillows made up the inside of the tent, providing back support against the couch. The extra blankets were strewn on the ground, cushioning it.

"Alright, movie time!" Rick cheered. "Why don't you go pick out the movie and I'll go get the snacks."

She saluted him, "Yes, sir!" And she took the few steps needed to reach Rick's impressive movie collection, but not before turning the stereo off. Kate looked over her options. "So many choices," she muttered to herself. Rick was busy in the kitchen, making popcorn and grabbing all the sugar-filled snacks he could find. "Hey, Rick?" Kate called.

"Yeah?"

She lifted up two DVDs, one in each hand. "Chick flick? Or Action?"

"Up to you!" He answered, pouring the now popped popcorn into a large bowl, taking a few pieces and tossing them into his mouth.

Kate pondered for a moment, weighing her options. In her left hand she held "The Waitress" and in her right she held "The Green Lantern"A couple minutes went by before she came up with her choice. She put the other DVD away and placed the chosen disc in the DVD player and pressed play.

Rick reached the fort, his arms full with popcorn and sweets. "Here we are," he grunted as they took their seats inside the cozy fortress. "What are we watching?" He asked, handing Kate some candy.

"Thank you," she smiled, taking the sweets from Rick. "And we are watching 'The Waitress'."

"Oh, I bought this for Alexis but I've never really watched it. Is it good?"

"Yeah, I enjoy it. Plus, the male lead, Nathan Fillion, is very attractive," she blushed, biting her lip.

"Nathan Fillion? _Really_?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"_What_?" Kate questioned. "He_ is_!"

"Whatever you say, sweetheart," he chuckled, shaking his head. Kate just poked him in the side. Rick kept on laughing as the opening credits popped up. "Here we go!"

Halfway through the movie Kate had dozed off on Rick's chest. A couple pieces of popcorn laid scattered around the floor of the fort near their feet. She held a half-eaten candy bar in her left hand, which was on top of his chest. Rick had fallen asleep within two minutes after Kate did. His left arm was protectively wrapped over her shoulders and his right hand was resting on Kate's hand, the hand on his chest. They cuddled together, both wearing small smiles on their faces.

The movie continued playing while the two lovebirds slept into the land of slumber, sleeping away all of their worries and not having a single care in the world...

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><p><strong>There you go! :) <strong>

**Hope y'all liked it! Please don't forget to leave a review and let me know what you think! Your thoughts and comments are always gratefully appreciated! They seriously make my day! Thanks for reading! And I'll see you next time!**

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	16. Chapter 16

**Hi!**

**I struggled a lot with this chapter. I just couldn't get started. Everything I came up with totally sucked so I started over and over again. So if this chapter sucks, then I apologize for its suckiness. I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/**

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><p><strong>[Chapter 16]<strong>

"I don't know, Ash," Alexis stated, walking through the front door with a small travel bag trailing behind her. "Here let me talk to my dad and I'll call you back, okay?" She set her belongings down and placed her keys on the table by the door. "Love you, too. Bye," and she hung up. Looking around cautiously, she didn't want to find her dad and Detective Beckett like she did last time, it was cute but too much for her eyes.

Looking over to the living room she saw a massive fortress made of blankets and pillows. There were two half-filled wine glasses and a wine bottle left open on the side table. The large flat screen was on the DVD main menu, the movie had been over for quite some time. She quietly snuck over to the mouth of the fort, peering in she saw Kate cuddled up to Rick's side, their legs were tangled. Candy and goodies covered the floor, she shook her head. Her dad definitely was a nine-year old on a sugar rush.

Alexis smiled softly at them. She was beyond thrilled that the two adults finally saw what was right in front of them the whole time. Not wanting to disturb their slumber, she, as stealthily as she could, tiptoed away, trying not to make a sound to let them sleep. But her plan to be quiet didn't work out so well when she accidentally stepped on a bag of potato chips that were concealed under one of the many blankets that scattered the floor.

Kate stirred in her sleep. Her eyes slowly opened to find the young redhead in front of her with her eyes closed and her lip between her teeth. "H-hey, Alexis," she greeted groggily, carefully raising a hand to rub her eyes. Rick was knocked out, not realizing that his daughter was home or that Kate was now awake. "What time is it?"

"Hi, Detective Beckett," the teenager whispered. She looked down at her watch. "And it's a little after eight."

"Alexis, you can call me Kate," she smiled softly.

_"Kate,"_ she corrected with a nod. "I'm sorry I woke you up."

"Oh, it's okay." She patted Rick on the chest, "Your dad is quite the snorer so I was bound to be woken up anyways." Alexis chuckled lightly to herself and nodded her head in agreement.

"It looks like you two had fun," Alexis stated, looking around at all of the junk food cluttered all over the place. "Good movie choice, by the way."

"We did," Kate yawned. "Although, we only watched about half of it before we dozed off. And yes, I love 'The Waitress'. Especially, Nathan Fillion. He's quite easy on the eyes." She blushed a bit as Alexis laughed.

"You know, my dad has always been told that he resembles Nathan Fillion..."

"I think your dad is better looking of the two though," Kate smiled as she cuddled into Rick's side a bit more, unconsciously. Alexis beamed, happy for the couple in front of her. "So, how was Natalie's? I thought you two were going to spend the entire weekend together, to catch up?"

The girl shrugged, bending down onto her knees. "Something came up this morning and she couldn't hang out anymore. But it's okay, I was going to ask my dad if I could go over to Ashley's, but you two looked so peaceful that I didn't want to wake you." Kate looked up at Rick and grinned, he was so cute when he was asleep. "Um, do you think that it'll be ok if I go over for a little bit?" Alexis bit her lip, waiting patiently.

She smiled at the teenager, then looked back at Rick. "Yeah, I don't see why that'd be a problem. Just make sure that you're home at a reasonable time, I don't want your dad getting worried."

"I'll be home by seven," Alexis beamed. "Thanks, Det- _Kate."_

"You're welcome. Hey, would you like to stay for breakfast? I can fix you up something really fast before you go." She raised a hand, nudging toward the kitchen behind them with her thumb.

"Oh, I'd love to but I ate at Natalie's. Thank you though," Alexis thanked politely. "Well," she stood up. "I'll leave you two alone then. See you later."

"Bye, Alexis. Have fun!" Kate smiled as she watched the teenager leave. She heard Alexis on the phone with her boyfriend, the beginning of their conversation cut off by the door being shut. She sighed as she carefully got up and stretched, pulling her arms straightforward in front of herself. With once last look at the snoring man beside her, she stepped out of the fort and made her way to the kitchen. In there, she began concocting a large breakfast for herself and Rick.

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><p>The enticing aroma of pancakes, bacon, and coffee brought Rick out of his deep sleep. He reached for the space next to him only to find it empty. Taking in a deep breath, he smiled, smelling the delicious foods that Kate was currently preparing. He slowly got up and stepped out of the fort and stretched, his bones cracking. He sighed as he trudged to the kitchen, his sock-clad feet dragging on the hardwood floor.<p>

"G'morning," he grumbled as he reached Kate, her back to him. "Something smells good." Rick wrapped his arms around her midsection and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"Good morning," Kate greeted, cocking her head to the side to kiss him sweetly on the lips. "How'd you sleep?"

"Like a baby," he grinned, entranced by her flipping the pancakes with ease. "And yourself?"

"Good, except for the man snoring like a monkey next to me," she smirked, feeling him chuckle behind her, his body vibrating against hers.

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"Oh, that reminds me." Kate set the utensil down, escaping Rick's hold and walked over to the refrigerator. She grabbed a carton of eggs off the top shelf, closing the door behind her. "Alexis stopped by this morning since her plans were cut short at Natalie's."

"Is she still here?" Rick wondered, looking around the loft.

She shook her head, and Rick pouted, upset that he'd missed his daughter. "She wanted to know if she could go over to Ashley's, and I didn't think that it would be a problem so I said yes since someone-" Kate poked Rick's stomach with a smile, "-was knocked out. I hope that was okay," she added as an afterthought. She set the carton down on the counter and proceeded to open it.

"Yeah, no problem at all. Just as long as she's home by-"

Kate stopped him there, "I told her that she needs to be home by a reasonable time so that you wouldn't worry. She'll be back around seven tonight."

Rick stared at the woman in front of him, a giant smile appearing on his tired face. He was amazed at how motherly Kate was acting toward Alexis, it made his heart do somersaults. He quickly crossed over to Kate and hugged her. "You're incredible," his breath dancing on the exposed skin of her neck. Kate smiled softly. "She looks up to you, you know?"

Pulling back from the embrace, her eyes locked onto Rick's. "She's a good kid, Rick. And I care for her."

Rick leaned in and kissed her on the lips in a slow and loving caress. "Thank you," he whispered, their lips mere centimeters apart.

"For what?" She questioned, her eyebrows raised.

"For being...well, you," he smiled, his eyes displaying all of his feelings and emotions.

"Always."

Their lips molded to one another's, their breaths mixed. Kate encircled her arms over his shoulders, clasping her hands together behind his neck. Rick pulled her body to his, their chests pressed together. After a few minutes of uninterrupted kissing, they pulled apart both needing to get air into their lungs.

Kate winked at him before going back to the eggs. The smile on Rick's face never faltered as he helped Kate make breakfast. They were so in sync that no words were spoken, they just maneuvered around the kitchen in silence. Both knew what the other needed without being told or asked, they'd found their rhythm.

Rick set the counter with plates, forks, napkins, and cups. He had an air of happiness about him. "Look at us, being all domestic. Making breakfast and setting the table."

Peering over her shoulder and smiling at him, the thought of doing this every morning with Rick didn't scare her like it would've three years ago. Kate went back to her eggs, the idea of spending morning, day, and night with him was very appealing. She stole another glance over her shoulder, watching as Rick swiped a piece of bacon off one of the plates that cluttered the counter top. She chuckled as she dumped the now scrambled eggs onto a plate, ready to serve.

They moved over to the counter. Each taking their own spot on the stools. "Oh, this is so good," Rick groaned as he ate his pancake. He stuffed bite after bite in his mouth, making it hard for him to speak. A little bit of syrup trailed down from the corner of his lips to his chin.

Kate smiled and, without warning, licked the sticky substance off his face, her tongue gently running across the stubble he had. Rick felt his pants start to become tighter and tighter with each sweep of her tongue. She lowered a hand down to his thigh, her fingers trailing up and down avoiding a certain bulging area. He groaned at her ministrations, having trouble chewing. She moved her hand to the hem of his shirt and reached under to his stomach. Her fingers drawing circles and various other shapes right above his belt but no going any lower, driving Rick insane.

Kate pressed a tiny kiss to his lips before she pulled back, her hand ghosting across his straining member. She licked hers lips, wiping off any excess syrup. "Mmm, delicious," she moaned with an evil smirk before quietly going back to her own breakfast and keeping her head down so Rick wouldn't notice the mischievous smile on her face.

He just stared at her, trying to calm down.

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><p>"Boy, I am stuffed!" Rick sighed once he was finished, cleaning his mouth off with a napkin. "Thank you," he grabbed Kate's hand, kissing the top of it. "That was absolutely scrumptious! Would you like help cleaning up?"<p>

"No, that's alright. I've got it," she replied, wiping her own mouth clean. She still bore that mischievous smirk but tried her best to conceal it.

"Alrighty then," he stood up. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I need to go take an _extremely_ cold shower...thanks to someone." He winked at her, shaking his head.

Kate her raised eyebrows in mock surprise. Rick kissed her on the lips briefly before he practically ran to the bathroom, his pants way too tight to be considered comfortable. As soon as he disappeared behind his office doors and into his bedroom, Kate let out a small laugh of victory. "Oh, you're just so easy, Rick," she sneered, gathering up the dirty dishes and heading over to the sink. "So easy..."

Rick sighed when the water hit his body, droplets dripping down his back. He pressed his palms against the tile wall, his head hanging underneath the spray. Taking a deep sigh, he attempted to calm down but it was of no use, Kate knew exactly where to push his buttons to get him going. The woman oozed sex and he couldn't seem to keep himself in control whenever around her, it was like he was an inexperienced teenager again.

"Damn woman and her sexiness..." he grumbled.

After his rather long shower, Rick emerged out of his room and office into the main living room area. Only a dark green towel covered his lower half, hanging low on his hips. His hair was soaked and drooping down a bit. He'd shaven his face too, so it was now nice and smooth. Droplets of water dripped down his well-toned chest leaving small trails of water that slipped down his muscular stomach and seeped into the fabric of the towel. Kate was still in the kitchen, her back to him. She was currently in the middle of brewing some more coffee for the two of them.

He snuck up behind Kate and pressed his drenched body to hers, soaking her clothing. "Oh, God! Rick, you're getting me all wet!" She shrieked, the ice cold water seeping through her thin white button-up. "Let me go!" She struggled to get free, his arms were wrapped around her too tight. His grip was firm and steady. "_Rick!_" She slapped her hands against the arms that were circled over her middle, but he didn't budge.

"Am I getting you wet?" He asked huskily in her ear, nibbling on her earlobe. Kate couldn't help but release a moan when she felt his tongue raking across her neck and ear. She continued to swivel in his arms but was quickly loosing all of her control. "How does it feel to have my body pressing against yours? To have my arms encircled around your waist, holding you close? Does it feel good, Kate?" He then trailed open mouthed kisses down her neck and to her now soaping wet back. Kate stopped fighting and allowed him to continue with what he was doing with that talented mouth of his.

"God," she breathed.

He set her down and turned her so that she was now facing him, he pulled her flush against him. Her front now getting wet, becoming see-through. Rick kissed her before he pulled her at arms length and glanced down at her chest. He could see that she had on a black lace bra; her nipples prodded through the material, taut and erect in arousal. He raised a hand to her face and kissed her hard on the lips, Kate kissed him back just as hard. Her underwear was becoming soaked and not because of the cold water dripping down and through her pants, bt because of the half-naked man in the towel kissing her roughly in the middle of his kitchen.

Rick abruptly pulled away and with a proud smirk he growled, "Now, we're even."

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><p><strong>There you have it!<strong>

**Please leave a review and let me know what you guys think! You're thoughts are always appreciated! Thanks again for reading! I love you guys!**

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	17. Chapter 17

**Hi guys!**

**Remember, reviews are love.**

**Disclaimer: _Castle _is not mine :/  
><strong>

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><p><strong>[Chapter 17]<strong>

Rick walked back to his room to get dressed, leaving Kate in the kitchen totally soaked and completely turned on. Crossing her arms over her chest, she sneered, dozens of ideas to get back at Rick were floating around in her mind. He was going to pay for that. She then looked down at her clothes, the white material of her button-up shirt was drenched and now see-through. Her black bra stood out against the white. Damn.

She slowly walked over to his office and waited outside his bedroom door. "Rick?" She called with a sigh, knocking on the door. "I need a shirt...I can't go home like this."

Kate heard muffled sounds behind the door and after a minute of waiting the door opened to reveal Rick fully dressed. He had on a basic navy v-neck shirt and very fitted jeans. He looked good. The shirt showed off his chest really well. She had to keep herself from drooling.

"Here you are," he smiled handing her a Star Wars t-shirt. It was a gray shirt that had Darth Vader on the front with the words, _Who's Your Daddy?_ underneath it.

Kate gave him a look. She held it up to herself and studied it. Glancing back up at Rick she questioned, "Are you kidding me? Don't you have any basic shirts that I could wear?" She tried handing it back but he wouldn't accept it.

"Why don't you wanna wear it? It's Star Wars!" Rick grinned. "And I love this shirt. Alexis got it for me for my birthday a few years ago."

Kate just continued to stick out the hand holding the t-shirt and shot him a glare. "I'm not wearing this home, Rick. I'd get funny looks."

"Since when do you care about what people think?" He raised an eyebrow. "Please wear it. It'll look great on you! Besides, you're more than welcome to stay for the day. While you're here, I can go put your shirt in the dryer and you can wear that," he pointed to the t-shirt with a smirk. "Then when it's done, you can put your shirt back on." But Kate wasn't relenting. Rick clasped his hands together and gave her his best puppy dog eyes. He even got his lip to quiver a bit. "Please," he begged, his voice just above a whisper.

She weighed her options, taking a moment to think. "Fine," Kate breathed, annoyed. "I'll wear the shirt. Happy?"

Rick nodded. "Extremely." He made way for her to enter his bedroom so that she could change. "You may use my bathroom if you'd like. There's an extra towel in there if you feel the need to take a shower. I'll be in my office writing. Yell if you need anything." He kissed her sweetly on the temple before making his way to his desk and pulling out his laptop.

Kate looked back at Rick before she closed the bedroom door behind her. She headed to the bathroom, closing that door as well. She didn't lock either doors, just in case he wanted to join her. The thought of Rick taking her in his shower got her hot like no other. And she was still aroused from him being wet and only in a towel earlier. Who wouldn't be?

She examined the large shower before her. It was huge! It had all sorts of settings and quite a few different jets so you could get clean at every possible angle. She reached in and turned the water all the way to warm, the water cascaded out the faucets like a waterfall. Stripping herself of her sopping wet clothing, she stepped inside.

The warm water felt amazing on her cold skin, quickly heating herself up. Kate picked up Rick's shampoo bottle and opened the container, smelling it. It smelled just like Rick. She squeezed the liquid shampoo into her hand, then lathered up her brunette locks with it, small bubbles forming on her head. After she was done rinsing her hair out, Kate grabbed his body wash. She cleaned her body and soon she was done.

Turning the water off, she exited the shower and grabbed the extra towel off of the counter. Kate quickly wrapped it around herself, suddenly becoming cold. Glancing down at the Star Wars shirt she smiled softly to her self. She would never tell Rick this but she was just as big of a Star Wars geek as he was. The saying on the shirt made her chuckle, but the smile quickly left her face when she realized that her bra was wet, too. She couldn't wear that, holding up the drenched black lace bra. Then that smile slowly came back onto her lips.

Kate got dressed, luckily her jeans and panties weren't wet like the rest of her clothing. Running a hand through her hair, she checked herself one last time in the mirror before she left the bathroom.

She reached Rick's office but was stopped short at the door. Kate leaned up against the frame and just watched as he typed away on his laptop. The words coming easily to him. She smiled, enjoying seeing him create and have fun doing it. He hadn't noticed that she was there and that made her shake her head. Rick was in his own little word when it came to writing, he's get lost and not notice his surroundings. Kate sauntered over to his desk and plopped her soaked articles of clothing on his desk.

"Thanks, Rick," she purred, resting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it.

He mumbled, "You're welcome," and went back to writing. Glancing up as Kate left the room, he watched her with a smirk.

She swung her hips a little more than usual which totally grabbed his attention. Then he tore his gaze down to the clothes she'd set on his desk for him to put in the dryer. And there right on top was her black lace bra.

He gulped and hastily looked back up in the direction she left in and then back down to the bra. "She's not wearing a bra?" He whispered to himself. "My God, is she _trying_ to kill me?" He then gently picked up the thin article of clothing with two fingers, carefully examining the bra like it was the first time he'd ever seen anything like it.

Kate peered from behind the door that she'd left open partially. She just laughed at him, too easy. She raised a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter when he picked up her bra and looked at it.

* * *

><p>Kate walked into the hotel room, alone. Rick had a meeting with his publisher and he couldn't reschedule so she was by herself for the time being. Peering around, she noticed that the hotel was obviously run down. The wallpaper on the walls were peeling and the bed in the middle of the room had springs sticking out of it with the corpse on top. Dirt and trash cluttered the floors, concealing the chipped and cracked hardwood floor beneath.<p>

Ryan and Esposito were talking with the manager when they saw her enter the room. "Excuse us," Esposito said to the rather large manager. They walked over to their boss. "Hey, Beckett," he greeted, then looked over her shoulder. "Where's Kitt- I mean, where's Castle?" His slip was obviously on purpose, he glanced over at Ryan and they had identical grins on.

She glared at them, and then leaned in and harshly whispered so only they could hear. "If you guys don't shut your mouths and stop calling him Kitten then I will cut off a certain,_ appendage_, and feed it to the drug dogs. Then I will personally hide your bodies and make sure that they are never found. _Ever_." They gulped. "Am I clear?"

"Y-yes," Ryan and Esposito chorused. Kate's message heard loud and clear.

"Good," she smirked, satisfied. "Now, what do we got?"

"Uh, eighteen-year-old male," Ryan answered, his voice trembling a bit. "No ID, no wallet, no nothing. Hotel manager doesn't recognize him."

"Time of death?" She asked, looking down at the body. There was a large bullet hole in the middle of his chest. Blood covered the front of his green t-shirt, seeping through and darkening the material of the mattress beneath him.

"Lanie said about two hours ago," Esposito answered this time. "He was shot with a forty-five."

Kate nodded. "Alright, I want uniforms canvasing the area, see if anyone saw or heard anything. The killer couldn't have left without someone noticing."

"You got it," Esposito nodded, tapping Ryan on the shoulder.

When they were somewhat out of earshot, though Kate could still hear them, Ryan asked his partner, "Why'd you do that? Now, we're in trouble and we can't call him Kitten anymore."

The latin detective just grumbled, "Let's go."

And the two detectives left the room, both scared for their lives and upset about not being able to tease Rick anymore. It was fun for them seeing him stutter and get all flabbergasted while Kate turned bright red. It was a game to them but not anymore. Rule number one when it came to Kate Beckett's threats, _never_ disobey them or you're screwed. They'd learn that lesson the hard way and weren't planning on revisiting it again.

Kate just smiled, her boys were too easy. She made her way downstairs to the to parking lot and to the Crown Victoria. As soon as she got in she shot Rick a text message. Y_ou are no longer Kitten to the boys. They've learned their lesson._

Hearing a chirp coming from her phone less than a minute later, she received a text. Clicking her seatbelt into place she read his reply,_ Thank God! :) I was worried I was stuck w/ it forever._

She smiled. _Trust me, you're free! So how's the meeting going?_ Kate set her phone down in the cup holder and started the car. She pulled out of the crime scene and headed to the precinct. Kate immediately got a reply but refrained from reading it while she was driving. But as soon as she pulled up to the parking lot of the twelfth she read it.

_Boring :( I miss you._

Kate frowned at that and replied. _I'm sorry :( I miss you, too. When you get back wanna get Remy's for lunch? My treat._

Entering the elevator, she was on her way up to the Homicide floor. She stepped out and arrived at her desk, her high heels clicking on the hardwood floor. Taking her jacket off, she started to set up the murder board. Her phone chirped, Rick.

_Sounds wonderful, babe :) __Meeting just ended, be there in 20. Time me!_**_  
><em>**

Kate didn't reply but the smile she had on her face never left as she continued to work on the board. Exactly twenty minutes later, Rick was striding through the elevator doors to her desk. "Hello," he smiled.

Kate looked over at him, "Hi, Castle." She left her place in front of the murder board and grabbed her jacket and purse off her desk. "Ready to go?"

"Yes, ma'am. So new case?" He asked as they stepped onto the elevator. "John Doe?"

"Yep," she answered, placing her hands in her jacket pockets. "Ryan and Esposito are canvasing right now. So far no leads. All we know is that he was killed earlier this morning in a sketchy hotel room off fifty-fourth and that he was shot once in the chest with a forty-five."

Rick nodded. "I'm sorry I couldn't be there," he apologized. They reached the main floor and exited the elevator. "Paula scheduled it last minute and I couldn't not show up or she'd have my head. Not to mention Gina, there's no telling what she'd do if I didn't show up."

"It's okay, really," she smiled warmly. "I understand."

His smiled matched hers as he took her hand in his. They exited the building and were now out on the sidewalk. "Well, I'm glad I'm here now."

"Me, too," Kate squeezed his hand. They walked the two blocks it takes to get to Remy's. The duo sat in their usual spot in the corner booth, sliding into the red vinyl seats.

Judy, an older woman, walked up to their table with a smile. Judy normally waited on Rick and Kate whenever they'd come here. "Hi, Rick. Hi, Kate. How are you two doing today?" She asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Great," they answered simultaneously with a grin.

Judy just chuckled at them. "Oh it's so cute when you do that." Kate's cheeks turned a little pink at her comment. "So what can I get for you? Usual?" She asked, pulling out a small notepad from her apron.

"Yes, please. Thanks," Rick smiled. "Oh and Judy?" He beckoned her with a finger and whispered in her ear.

"Not a problem, Ricky." Judy winked as she left and went to the back to the kitchen.

He turned back to the detective. "What did you tell her?" Kate questioned, curious.

"Oh, nothing," he smiled. Kate raised a delicate eyebrow but didn't say anything else. "So," Rick began. "Tell me about Ryan and Esposito. What did you say to them?" Rick wondered as he placed his head in his hands like a little kid during story time. He was all too eager about this.

"Want me to start at the beginning?" Rick nodded. Kate shook her head at him before telling him everything that happened that morning. "Well, I walked in the hotel room..." His smile grew as she told the story. "...and I simply told them that if they ever call you Kitten again then I would cut off a certain appendage and that I'd feed it to the drug dogs." Rick shuddered a bit at that and unconsciously placed his hands over his lap. "And that I would personally hide their bodies so that they wouldn't ever be found."

"Man, I wish I was there to see their faces!" He chuckled a bit. Rick then reached over and grabbed her hand, his large one covering her small one. "Thank you," he smiled softly, his voice suddenly serious.

Kate's brown eyes bore into his crystal clear blue ones. "You're welcome." Her tone echoing his.

At that moment, Judy came up with their usual. "I hope I'm not interrupting, but here's your usual." The couple broke apart and blushed as they tore their hands apart. Judy placed the burgers in front of their respectful owners and smiled, wiping her hands on the front of her apron. "Anything else I can get you?"

"No, thanks. We're set," Kate smiled up at the elderly woman before taking her napkin and placing it in her lap.

"Okay. Well, just holler if you need anything," and she left, leaving them by themselves once again.

The two ate in a comfortable silence, just enjoying each others company, not to mention the delicious food. Judy looked on at Rick and Kate from afar. Judy was thrilled, she glanced at them one more time before going back to her other customers.

* * *

><p>"Oh, boy. That was amazing!" Rick moaned, patting his stomach.<p>

Kate agreed, "It sure was." She reached next to her and grabbed her purse, setting it in her lap. Kate started to unzip it and fished for her wallet but Rick stopped her with his hand resting on top of hers. "Rick, I got this. It's my treat," she grinned and gently yanked his hand from hers.

"About that..." he began, sinking a bit in his seat.

"Rick..."

"I-I told Judy to put it on my tab." He closed his eyes, scared that he was going to be smacked but it didn't happen. Peeking through one eye, he looked at Kate. She didn't look angry at all. "Are you mad at me?"

She shook her head, "No, I'm not mad. I just wish you would let me pay every once in a while, Mr. Gentleman," Kate teased. Rick felt the corner of his lips curl up into a small grin. "But I'm paying next time, okay?"

"Okay" he stated. "So, shall we head back?" He asked getting out of the booth and putting his jacket on.

"Yes," she grinned when he lowered a hand down to her, helping her out of the booth. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he grinned, and helped her into her jacket. "See you next time, Judy. And thanks!" He called to the kitchen.

And the couple left, both full and satisfied. The trip back to the precinct was made in comfortable silence. Kate snuggled into Rick's side all the way back. She'd said that since they weren't at the precinct quite yet then public displays of affection were allowed. Rick happily agreed. They stopped in front of the twelfth precinct doors.

Without a warning, Rick grabbed Kate's face in his large hands and kissed her gently on the lips. When he pulled back, he simply said, "I wanted to do that before we went in."

Kate bit her lip, "One more time wouldn't hurt." Rick didn't hesitate and kissed her again but this time their kiss lasted a bit longer than the first. Kate opened her eyes and looked up at him, his smile was identical to hers.

"Let's go," he breathed, trying to get oxygen back into his lungs. "We have a murder to solve." Kate smiled as he opened the door for her and they went inside, both a bit upset that the time for lingering looks and stolen kisses was over.

Now, it was time for work.

* * *

><p><strong>There you go, folks!<strong>

**I hope you liked it! Please leave a review and let me know what you think!  
><strong>

**Follow me on Twitter at KB_RC23 and Follow me on Tumblr at KB-RC23**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hello!**

**I hope you guys like this chapter. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: _Castle_ is not mine :/  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>[Chapter 18]<strong>

Kate stepped through the double doors of the morgue, Rick trailing right behind her. "What you got?" They moved right up to the large silver table that had their John Doe on it, a white cloth covering him from the shoulders down.

"_Hello_ to you, too," Lanie said pointedly. She looked at Rick, "Hey, Kitten."

Rick choked on his unspoken greeting unable to vocalize anything. He stood there opening and closing his mouth like a goldfish, totally shocked. Rick turned to Kate and just stuck a hand out toward Lanie, silently telling Kate to say something.

Lanie laughed. "What's wrong, _Kitten_? _Cat_ got your tongue?"

"Lanie," Kate sighed, placing her hands on the edge of the table. "They _body_..." she shot Lanie her stern, no-nonsense detective look which made the ME groan.

"Fine," she mumbled under her breath. She went ahead and debriefed them, "He had nothing in his system, no drugs, no alcohol. But," she moved over to a small tin bin with a folded and crumbled piece of paper inside. Picking it up with a pair of tweezers she continued, "I did find this in his pants pocket. It was crumpled up so much that I didn't notice it back at the hotel."

Kate took the tweezers from Lanie and read the piece of paper. "It's an address."

Rick looked over her shoulder and read the paper. "Hey, that's three blocks away from the hotel," he added, causing the detective to raise her eyebrows in surprise. "Wait, I know this place." He thought for a moment before snapping his fingers. "It's a bar, I've been there about a dozen times. Man, the stories I could tell you..." Kate gave him the same look she had given Lanie, which clamped him right up. He cleared his throat, "Th-there's a time written on here, nine pm. Perhaps he was meeting somebody?"

"Most likely our killer," Kate answered and then gave Lanie the tweezers and paper back. "But wait, why would he go to a bar and then not have any alcohol in his system? That doesn't make any sense."

"Maybe he didn't have anything to drink? Just there to meet someone, all business."

"Maybe. Let's go check it out, see if anybody recognizes him." Turning to Lanie she asked, "Can you run fingerprints? See if he's in the system."

"I'll send you the results when I'm finished. Should take about an hour or so."

"Great, thanks," Kate said gratefully as she flipped around and walked to the door with Rick beside her.

"What was that about?" He asked once they were out of earshot. He, of course, was referring to the little scene between the two friends. Rick stopped right in front if the double doors, forcing Kate to answer him.

"I'll talk to her tonight and ask her to stop with the Kitten-thing, okay? But you know," she moved closer to him and took his hands in hers. "That means I won't be able to be with you tonight, right?"

Rick took a deep breath. "I know."

"Are you gonna be okay? It's just for tonight."

Rick smiled and nodded. He knew that he'd be ok if she wasn't with him for one night. He could do this. "I'll miss you. It won't be the same without you lying there next to me," he said, sadly. "It will be the first time that we will be separated since before our camping adventure."

"I know," Kate squeezed theirs hands. "And I'll miss you, too. But we'll be alright."

Rick leaned down and kissed her gently in the lips. "I know we will. But," he raised a finger and carefully poked her on the nose. "Tomorrow night you're all _mine_."

"I think I can live with that," she grinned with a chuckle. "Now, come on." Kate released their intertwined hands and was already making her way down the hall to the exit, leaving Rick behind. "We need to check out that bar, see if anyone recognizes our John Doe."

He ran and caught up with her. "The stories that I could tell you about that place would blow your mind."

That made her grin, "Oh, I believe it."

Rick just waggled his eyebrows up and down. They'd reached her Crown Vic and were in the process of getting in.

"You're a handful as it is," she stated, strapping her seatbelt on and starting the car. "I don't know what I'd do if you got drunk on me." She glanced over at him with a teasing smile. "It'd be quite the sight though, that's for sure. I'd pay _big_ money to see that."

He didn't respond but flashed that sexy, boyish smirk of his in her direction. Kate chuckled some more while shaking her head and turned her attention to the road.

The rest of the trek to the bar was silent and both of them were comfortable with that. Kate pulled her key out the ignition, turning the car off and stepped out. Rick followed suit and got of his side of the Crown Vic. He closed the door with one hand as he looked at the establishment in front of him. "So many great memories..." he reconciled, walking up on the sidewalk and standing next to Kate with a certain bounce in his step.

"You ready?" She asked, checking to make sure she had all of the contents needed in the small black folder she was carrying. Closing it, she tore her gaze up at Rick.

"Lead the way," he stuck a hand in front of him and followed her inside.

* * *

><p><em>Dinner &amp; drinks at my place after work? Comfy clothes are a requirement :) <em>

Kate sent Lanie the text as soon as she and Rick got back to the precinct. Setting her phone down on her desk, she went to look at the murder board. Rick was leaning against her desk, doing the same thing.

"Okay, so where do we go from here?" She asked, biting her lip in concentration.

"No idea," Rick dryly replied. "The bartenders were not helpful at all."

Kate moved up closer to the board to look at the picture they had posted of their John Doe. "Who are you?" She whispered, crossing her arms.

Just then her phone beeped. Rick glanced over his shoulder as he watched Kate move back to her desk and open her phone. "Lanie?"

"Yep," she answered, reading the text. _Be there at 8 & girl you better tell me what's going on w/ you & WriterBoy. I was just having some fun earlier but you ruined it :P _Kate rolled her eyes at the text.

"What'd she say?" Rick wondered, as he saw her expression. She gave Rick her cell phone so that he could read it for himself. "Once you talk with her it'll be okay," he comforted, handing her phone back. "I guess our relationship isn't a secret anymore, is it?" He asked, stating the obvious.

"Good job, Einstein," she taunted with a tiny grin. She rolled up her sleeves of the purple-pink plaid shirt she was wearing. "It hasn't been a secret since we got back. Everyone knew what had happened the minute we walked in."

"Oh," was all he said. Kate shook her head, wearing a smirk on her lips. Rick turned his attention back to the board, his eyes squinting a bit.

Kate sent Lanie another text, _I'm sorry but I'll explain everything later ok?_

She immediately got a reply. _You better! Or I'mma smack you. Btw just sent you the results for JD._

Kate sent a quick thank you before putting her phone away and going on her computer. "Lanie just sent the fingerprint results." Opening her email, she clicked print. Once she returned from the copy room, she read off the results. "We got a match."

_"Finally,"_ Rick praised, clasping his hands together and closing his eyes.

"Looks like our John Doe is one Samuel Locke. He has a misdemeanor for assault in '08. But other than that he's clean."

She handed Rick the folder, he scanned over it. "No family. It says that he didn't have any siblings and that his parents died of natural causes. His mother in November of '07 and his father just months after."

Kate wrote down the new found information on the board. She leaned up against the board, her right arm raised a little above her on the frame. The blue expo marker swayed in her right hand as she thought over what they now had. "So, Sam went to the bar at nine the previous night and then was killed in a run down hotel the next morning. Where's the story there?"

Just the Montgomery came out of his office. "Beckett," he called, walking up and looking over their murder board. "You find out who our John Doe is?"

"Yes, sir," she answered, nodding for Rick to hand the Captain the file. "His name is Samuel Locke."

Montgomery read over the file. "He seems clean, except for the one misdemeanor."

"He assaulted David Reynolds, but David didn't press charges claiming it was an 'accident'," Rick pointed out, putting air quotes on the word accident.

"Alright," Montgomery turned to Kate. "I want you to bring in this David Reynolds, see where he was last night and this morning. Something just doesn't sit right with me." Kate nodded. "And where are Detectives Ryan and Esposito?"

Kate answered, "Uh, still canvassing the hotel to see if anybody heard or saw anything."

Their Captain held out the folder which Kate took back. "Keep me in the loop, Detective."

"Yes, sir," she nodded as she watched her captain head back to his office. He closed the door shut behind him, the blinds bumping and clicking against the window.

"What's taking them so long?" Rick wondered, looking down at his watch. "It's been hours."

She shrugged her shoulders with a sigh, "They should be back soon. But in the mean time, let's go pick up David." She grabbed all of her belongings off her desk and went to the elevator, her stride full of purpose. "He's currently working at a construction site off fifth Avenue. The company he works for is called, Taylor Construction."

Rick was right behind her. "Can we make a coffee run before we pick him up?" He pleaded.

They reached the elevator, the steel doers shutting in front of them. "That's fine," she smiled. "I could sure use a caffeine fix anyways."

* * *

><p>David Reynolds, as it turns out, was Samuel Locke's old high school buddy. And the assault in '08 was no accident. The assault was actually initiated by Reynolds, and he had beaten Locke several times in the face leaving him bruised and battered. But Reynolds didn't get out without any cuts or bruises, he took a nasty beating to his left eye. Reynolds was angry because he had caught his wife cheating on him with Locke. Yet, after all of that, he didn't kill Samuel Locke.<p>

That's where Kate and Rick hit a dead end, David Reynolds ended up having a solid alibi for the night of the murder; he was at his bosses birthday party that went well into the night and early morning. So, they were back at square one, not that they were getting anywhere in the first place. Ryan and Esposito came back from their canvas around four that afternoon and said that no one saw or heard anything at the hotel, but then again, in New York, nobody ever sees or hears anything.

The four of them eventually called it a night when it hit seven-thirty, all needing a fresh start the next day. They went their separate ways, bidding one another a good night. Rick and Kate were skeptical about saying good-bye. It was the first time that they had been apart since before the camping trip. She was either staying at Rick's loft or he was staying at Kate's apartment. But no matter where they ended up, they were always together. After quite a few kisses and hugs good-bye, the couple left, each heading to their homes alone.

The food arrived ten minutes after Kate got home, she had ordered it as soon as she and Rick left the precinct. She was busy getting it all sorted out, setting her food on one side and Lanie's food adjacent. Her sock-clad feet slid a bit on her wood floor as she moved about the kitchen counter. She'd discarded the skinny jeans she was wearing that day and donned some navy blue NYPD shorts that ended mid-thigh. She left her plaid shirt on but unbuttoned it to reveal a simple white camisole underneath. Her hair was up in a simple yet messy fishtail braid.

Eight o'clock came around all too soon and Lanie was right on time. Kate made the short trip from her kitchen to the front door. She opened it to reveal her best friend on the other side. "Hey, Lane. Come on in," the detective ushered her in.

"Girl, you have a lot of explaining to do," Lanie stated, taking off her jacket and shoes, leaving them on a small table near the front entrance. She had on a pair of worn out jeans that had one or two holes along the legs. On top, she had a red baseball style t-shirt. Lanie left her hair was down and it had a little curl and volume to it, framing her face.

"I know, and I will. But first, let's grab some food and wine and get comfortable." Kate led Lanie over to the kitchen counter where a few styrofoam boxes sat out. The food steamed from inside, just waiting to be eaten.

Each grabbed a container and some chopsticks, and headed to the couch. Kate set her dinner down and went back to the kitchen to grab the red wine and two glasses. She came back and filled them up. Lanie took a small sip before setting her glass on the coffee table and focusing her attention on the detective. Kate tucked her legs underneath her and Lanie did the same.

"How are you?" Kate asked, nonchalantly, picking up some rice with her chopsticks and spooning it in her mouth.

"Quite stalling and cut to the chase!" Lanie shrieked, her voice full of both amusement and impatience.

Kate took a calming and cleansing breath before she started. "I'd really appreciate it, and I'm sure Rick would too, if you'd stop the whole Kitten thing." Lanie was about to say something but she raised a hand, stopping her. "I know you and I know you love to tease people, especially Rick. But this is the one thing that we both want put to rest. I'll admit, it was a little funny at first but right now it's just embarrassing. For both of us. So please, refrain calling him Kitten from now on."

Lanie nodded, a bit disappointed but she complied. "I'll call him Writer Boy from now on, okay?" A ghost of smile appeared on her face. Lanie wasn't mad, just a tad put down.

"Thank you," Kate smiled affectionately. "That means a lot."

"Yeah, yeah," Lanie waved off, as if it weren't a big deal. "I do have a, uh, question though."

Of course at that moment Kate had taken a huge bite of her Kung Pao chicken. She couldn't talk with a full mouth, so she just nodded and motioned with the chopsticks in her hand indicating to Lanie to go ahead and ask her question.

"Is Castle as good in bed as he says he is?"

She practically choked on the chicken. She hastily reached for her wine and guzzled it, helping her get the chicken down. Wiping her mouth with the back of her hand she asked, perplexed, "W_hat_?"

"You heard me." Lanie took a bite of her own dish, the smile never she wore never left her face.

Kate just turned red as she thought back, her mind drifting to Rick above her, completely filling her up and marking her as his. The blush was all the indication Lanie needed.

"He so _is_!" She shrieked, excitement evident on her face and body language. "Spill, girl! You've been holding out on me!"

"I- uh," Now she was flustered. She weaved a hand through her curly locks. "Um, h-he..." She heaved a huge sigh before giving in. "He's _incredible." H_er facial expression and voice tone illuminating what she meant but Lanie needed more.

Lanie chided, impatient, "You've got to give me more than that!"

Kate just laughed, patting her friend on the leg. "Calm down, Lanie."

"I can't help it! You've_ finally_ done the deed with Writer Boy! How could you expect me not to be calm?"

Kate shook her head, laughter bursting out of her, "Very true." Lanie joined in on the laughter. "But really, Rick is gentle yet he can be rough at the same time. And he knows exactly what I need and when I need it. It's just…extraordinary. The best I've ever had."

She placed a hand on top of Kate's. ''I'm happy for you, Kate. I really am.'' Kate smiled, her laughter was beginning to die down, a small chuckle would escape here and then. "Wait," Lanie gasped suddenly, her mouth forming into an O.

"What?" She asked, wiping a rogue tear that'd escaped from her eye.

Lanie then leaned in and whispered as if someone was listening in to their conversation, "Did you tell him you love him?" She sat there wide eyed, waiting patiently.

Kate smiled and nodded. She took her lip in her teeth, a blush finding its way back to her cheeks. "I did." Her voice was just over a whisper, a little squeal came out.

Lanie screamed and lunged in for a hug. Her arms encircled Kate, who was giggling at her friend's antics. _"Finally, girl!_ It was obvious enough!" Then the ME abruptly pulled back so Kate was at an arms length. "Did he say it back?" Kate just grinned and nodded her head, the blush even darker than before. Lanie's smile got bigger, if that was even remotely possible. The ends of her lips reached her eyes she was grinning so much. Kate was worried she'd get stuck like that. She hugged Kate again, squeezing her tighter and tighter.

"Lane?" Kate gasped, having trouble breathing. Her face was starting to turn between a purple color and a shade of dark blue.

"Hmm?" She hummed, totally clueless that she was basically suffocating her friend. Her arms wrapping themselves snug around Kate's middle.

"I- I can't br-breathe..."

"Oh, sorry," she apologized, releasing her vice grip and pulling back.

Kate took in a huge breath, "Thank you." She rubbed her stomach, laughing a bit.

"I believe this calls for a toast," Lanie grabbed her glass and gave Kate hers. They raised their glasses in the air. Lanie took a breath, her voice filling the entire room, "To Katherine Beckett and Richard Castle, how they managed to go three plus years without realizing what was right in front of them, I'll never know." Kate chuckled at her friend's dramatized speech, but managed to stay quite as she continued. "I'm just glad that they got their acts together and did bad things to one another."

"_Lanie_!" Kate shrieked, appalled but also slightly amused.

Lanie merely continued, ignoring Kate's outburst. "May they be happy together and make babies. To Rick and Kate!" They clinked their glasses together before draining them.

"Either you've have too much wine or not enough."

Lanie winked at her friend before filling their glasses back up. "Oh, shut up," she grinned, teasingly as she took another sip of wine. "Now tell me about this famous camping trip of yours."

"Would you like me to start at the beginning?" Kate wondered, grinning from ear to ear.

"Duh!" Lanie exclaimed, taking another bite of her food.

"Well, it started out with him picking me up in this huge, and I mean _huge,_ RV..." Kate told Lanie all about the trip and all of the adventures that the writer and detective had whilst up in the Adirondack Mountains.

The remainder of the night was filled with laughter, tears, and quite a bit of wine, as the two friends caught up and grew closer together. Lanie eventually left around midnight, taking a taxi cab home. Kate was left alone and instead of cleaning up, she headed straight to bed; not having the effort or capacity to do anything else. Her head thumped on the pillow and she went right to sleep. Unfortunately, she wasn't out for long seeing as she couldn't sleep without a certain man beside her.

Glancing at the clock on her right, it read three twenty-two. Maybe he was still up? Grasping for her cell phone on the bedside table, she opened a new message intended for Rick. Debating on whether she should text him or not, she eventually decided to anyways. Her fingers flew across the keypad as she typed in the message. _You up? I can't sleep & I miss you _She sent it and placed her phone down next to her and waited for his response.

She sat up in her bed and pulled a pillow to her chest, waiting. Her phone rang about ten seconds later but instead of a text message, she was getting a call. Looking down at her phone, she saw Rick's smile lighting up the tiny screen.

"Hey, you," she answered with a huge grin.

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><p><strong>There you go, folks! <strong>

**Hope you guys liked it! :) Please leave me a review and let me know what you think! And I apologize if this was totally lame and you guys hated it. Like I've said in previous chapters, I'm not so good at the whole case-related stuff, so if that part was completely stupid then I'm sorry. Please don't hate me...**

**Follow me on Twitter at KB_RC23 and Follow me on Tumblr at KB-RC23**


	19. Chapter 19

**Hello my dearest friends!**

**I am very sad to say that this will be the final chapter of _Richard Castle's Guide to Camping_ :( **

**I know that this is sudden but as I said on Twitter earlier today, I just feel that this is a good place to stop. I am so blessed and honored to have gone on this journey with you guys! You all mean the world to me and I can't thank you enough for all of your love and support that you have shown this fic! I am still amazed at much it has grown over the past few months. Thank you so so much! I love you guys! ****I hope y'all enjoy the final chapter!**

**Disclaimer: _Castle_ is not mine :/  
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><p><strong>[Chapter 19]<strong>

"Hey, yourself," Rick smiled into the phone. "Can't sleep, huh?"

Kate shook her head no but then soon realized he couldn't see her through the phone. "No," she mumbled, pulling her legs closer to her chest.

He sighed. "Me, too. I've been thinking about you non-stop."

"The same can be said for me." There was a short pause. "I miss you."

Without a second thought he replied, "I'll be right there," before clicking off the phone without giving her a chance to reply.

Kate closed her phone shut and set it back onto her bedside table. Rick was coming over, to spend the night with her for no other reason than to be with her. Kate smiled to herself, bringing her knees closer to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs. She sat there excited, simply waiting for the writer to make his appearance.

Fifteen minutes later her doorbell rang. Rick was here. She jumped out of bed and practically ran to the door. Coming to an abrupt halt, she nearly crashed into the large wooden door. Tucking a loose tendril of hair behind her ear, she opened the door.

Rick stood there, panting as if he had ran all the way to her apartment. "Hi," he said breathless, looking up and down at Kate. Soaking her in.

She had on an old yet very big New York Yankees t-shirt that had a few holes protruding through it. It had definitely seen better days. Underneath she had on simple boy-shorts and no bra. On her feet, she wore simple white ankle socks that slid against the floor a bit whenever she moved.

"Hey," Kate smiled, taking in his disheveled appearance. "Did you run all the way here?"

Rick nodded, his breath hitching in his throat.

She couldn't help but smile as she took him in. His hair was sticking up in all sorts of directions, a few strands had fallen onto his forehead. He had on a large tan trench coat that ended just below his knees. A navy blue v-neck shirt stuck out against the tan coat, showing off his impressive chest muscles. His chest was heaving up and down as he breathed, stretching the shirt. And on bottom he wore simple gray sweatpants with the New York Knicks logo printed on the right thigh.

"Come on in," she opened the door more and waved him in.

"Thanks," he smiled as he took off his coat and placed it on the coat rack near the door.

Kate shut the door and headed for her kitchen. "Would you like anything to drink? I know it's," she looked at the clock mounted on a kitchen wall. "Three thirty in the morning but..."

Rick laughed. "Water, please."

"Alright," she nodded as she pulled out a plastic bottle filled of water and shut the refrigerator door. She sauntered over to Rick, a smile adorning her beautiful face. She gave him the water which he chugged and by the time he pulled his lips away from the opening and took a huge gasp, the water bottle was more than half way gone.

"Thanks, I needed that."

Rick set the bottle down on the counter and tore his gaze to the gorgeous creature in front of him. Kate smiled as she held out her hand for him to take. He grabbed it and she led him to her bedroom. Shutting the door behind her, she joined him on the bed. He took up the left side while she made we way to the right side. Slipping under the warm blankets, Kate snuggled into Rick's side. His arms immediately wrapped themselves around her torso, pulling her closer to his body. Her head rested in the crook of his neck, his cheek lying across the top of her head.

"Good night, Rick," Kate mumbled as she felt herself falling deeper and deeper into sleep.

Rick smiled an placed a kiss on the crown of her head. "Good night, Kate."

"And th-thank you for being here..." she added before sleep took over.

Rick barely heard her, she had spoken so softly. He uttered an "Always" before sleep grabbed a hold of him, whisking him away into the land of slumber.

They had matching smiles upon their lips as they slept, totally consumed with one another. Rick and Kate were content, they had reached that vital point in their relationship that they had so longed for after three years of unresolved sexual tension. Each now knew how the other felt and they weren't afraid to express themselves unlike before. This is what they wanted for so long and here they were. Together at last.

And it's all because of Richard Castle's Guide to Camping!

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><p><strong>And there you have it, folks!<strong>

**I know that this was so sudden and unexpected, but like I said before I just feel like this is where it should stop. Thank you all so very much for reading and reviewing! :) Once again, thanks for all of your love and kind words through out this journey! Y'all are _extraordinary_ and this fic wouldn't be what it is today without every single one of you! I love you all!**

**Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night! :)**

**Follow me on Twitter at KB_RC23 and Follow me on Tumblr at KB-RC23**


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